Having trouble finding simple lease agreement templates you can trust? You’re not alone. The internet is full of free lease agreements, and they’re easy to find. But how can you be sure that a free lease agreement is legally compliant without hiring an attorney to review it?
To help you out, this article will answer common questions about where property managers can find simple legal lease agreement templates. Once you’re finished, you should feel more confident about finding ones that work for you.
Evaluating your options
Legal lease templates are easy to find, but they can be expensive to purchase one at a time. That’s why some property managers choose to write their own rental lease agreements, risking accuracy and legality — just as they would with free templates.
An attorney can always prepare lease documents for you. This ensures compliance, but it’s probably both the least efficient and most expensive option.
Somewhere, there has to be a balance between affordability, reliability and simplicity.
Is it legal to write your own lease agreement?
Yes, it’s completely legal to write your own lease agreement. However, doing so places all the responsibility and risk on you. You’ll need to ensure your lease covers all necessary details and complies fully with local laws.
A basic rental agreement might seem sufficient, but it’s easy to miss critical requirements without legal oversight. We’ll look at two state-specific examples to show you why.
California
In California, lease regulations vary greatly depending on whether the unit is stabilized or not. Additionally, California cities and counties require specific brochures and disclosures to accompany every lease agreement.
New York
A lease that’s valid in upstate areas may be entirely noncompliant in New York City. That’s because NYC requires nearly 30 different brochures and disclosures depending on the apartment’s regulatory status. Due to these complexities, you may need separate lease templates for regulated and unregulated units.
What do property managers miss when they write their own leases?
When drafting leases independently, many property managers overlook essential addenda. Here’s a sample of commonly forgotten items:
- Animal addendum (pets and service animals)
- Appliance guidelines, rules and responsibilities
- Asbestos disclosure
- Community rules
- Laundry and recreational facility usage
- Crime-free addendum including a tenant’s right to contact law enforcement
- Fireplace or wood pellet burning rules
- Distinctions between furnished vs. unfurnished units
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detector guidelines
The list of potential omissions is extensive, and this list only scratches the surface. Most property managers simply don’t think of all these items, increasing risk when drafting leases themselves.
So, while it’s perfectly legal to create your own lease, the critical question remains: Should you?
What are the pros & cons of free lease agreement templates
Free online templates are rarely updated or tailored to specific local regulations. While they may seem like an easy solution for those seeking simple lease agreement templates or basic residential lease forms, they can come with serious drawbacks.
Free lease agreement templates lack this diligent maintenance, potentially leaving property managers using outdated or incomplete documents. In most cases, the potential legal headache is not worth the “savings” of free templates.
What are the pros & cons of attorney-prepared leases?
Attorney-prepared leases offer customization specific to your needs, which can be advantageous. However, most property managers don’t update these leases regularly. For example, a lease drafted by an attorney in 2019 that’s still in use today likely doesn’t reflect current laws.
What are the lease agreement templates for Lease Builder Plus?
Built by Yardi for Yardi Breeze Premier clients, Lease Builder Plus is a comprehensive lease document library. It includes state-based lease agreement templates, covering most states, and integrates seamlessly with our Breeze Premier property management system. This integration automates data entry, including tenant names, unit numbers and rent amounts. Once a lease is set up, each subsequent lease requires just a few clicks, bypassing the need for redundant manual data entry.
Lease Builder Plus offers the reliability, affordability and simplicity that property managers look for from a software provider. We continuously monitor legislative updates across most states. Additionally, we keep track of local city and county laws, ensuring our lease templates are updated monthly based on any legal changes.
Lease Builder Plus offers a significant advantage for anyone looking for reliable lease agreement templates that you don’t have to update and manage yourself. It also incorporates regular updates directly into your leases, eliminating dependence on law firms for notifications about legal changes.
Lease Builder vs. Lease Builder Plus
| Feature | Lease Builder | Lease Builder Plus |
| Auto-populates resident data | ✅ | ✅ |
| Supports electronic signatures | ✅ | ✅ |
| Add community-specific policies | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mobile-friendly signing experience | ✅ | ✅ |
| Includes legal lease templates | ❌ | ✅ |
| Flexible lease packet customization | ❌ | ✅ |
| Automatically updated for legal compliance | ❌ | ✅ |
Lease Builder is the basic lease document platform included with Breeze and Breeze Premier. It does not offer legal lease templates, flexible lease packet customization or automatic updates. For a quick side-by-side comparison, check out the chart below.
Frequently asked questions
Does Lease Builder Plus offer Blue Moon Integration?
Yes. If you are independently licensed for Blue Moon, Lease Builder Plus allows you to fully integrate Blue Moon with Breeze Premier. The integration supports NAA, TAA and GAA leases and addenda for electronic signature. Document setup and custom addenda programming are handled within Blue Moon.
Can I use Blue Moon and Lease Builder Plus at the same time?
Yes. Lease Builder Plus gives you a license to use our lease documents or integrate Blue Moon with Breeze Premier. For example, a client might use Blue Moon for their Texas properties but opt to use our forms for their California properties. The price structure is the same regardless of which path you choose.
What is the pricing structure for Lease Builder Plus?
Breeze Premier clients pay a flat fee for unlimited Lease Builder Plus access. The pricing remains consistent whether you manage 10 or 10,000 units. Start a live chat or send us a message for more information.
Are free online leasing docs worth it?
If you only manage one or two doors, you might be able to get away with free lease agreement templates. But even then, and especially as your business grows, you’ll want rental agreements that cover your bases.
Does every lease have to be notarized?
Notarization is generally unnecessary. As of 2025, Washington is the only state requiring notarization, and only for leases exceeding one year.
Is there any benefit to notarizing a lease when it’s not required?
Typically, no. Our software electronically verifies signer identity, which is legally binding. Notarization is primarily relevant for documents recorded with the county — a practice rarely applicable to residential leases. It’s more commonly associated with ownership documentation such as home purchases.
Can my business outgrow Lease Builder Plus?
You can’t outgrow Lease Builder Plus — that’s the product’s primary strength. Services like LegalZoom typically require you to generate and pay for one lease at a time. That works fine for managing a few properties, but it isn’t easily scalable or sustainable for larger portfolios.
How do I know Lease Builder Plus is up to date?
Our legal team continuously updates lease documents to reflect changing laws. And because the system integrates fully with Breeze Premier, your operation doesn’t become more complex as it expands.
So, whether you want leases that are customizable or plug-and-play, or a robust solution that grows with your business, Lease Builder Plus will always be able to meet your needs.
Disclaimer
This discussion of simple lease agreement templates is for general information purposes only. The opinions, analysis and commentary expressed are not and cannot be relied on as legal advice, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Yardi Systems, Inc. or any of its affiliates.
