Lease Agreements and E-Signatures for Independent Landlords
If you own one rental, or ten, you do not need property management software. You need a solid lease, a way to get it signed without meeting in person, and a copy you can find when something goes wrong. Codec Document gives independent landlords exactly that, free to start and without asking your tenant to install anything.
Small landlords carry the same legal risk as big ones
An independent landlord faces the same rules as a large property company: disclosures, security deposit limits, notice periods, habitability duties. The difference is that there is no legal department. Many small landlords use a lease they found online years ago, sign it on the hood of a car and keep it in a drawer. When a dispute arrives, the lease is outdated, missing a disclosure, or simply lost. Starting with a current template and a signed digital copy removes most of that risk.
How it helps landlords
A lease built from a current template
Answer questions about the property, rent, deposit and rules, and get a complete lease document you can review before sending.
Signed by tenants without meeting
Each tenant receives a link and signs from their phone. You get the completed lease with every signature and timestamp.
Move-in and move-out records
Condition checklists signed at move-in make deposit deductions far easier to justify at move-out.
Every lease in one place
Current and past leases stored with their audit trail, instead of in a drawer, an inbox and a phone camera roll.
Lead paint disclosure and signed leases
For most housing built before 1978, federal law requires landlords to give tenants a lead-based paint disclosure and the EPA pamphlet before the lease is signed, under 42 U.S.C. § 4852d and its regulations at 40 C.F.R. Part 745 and 24 C.F.R. Part 35. Leases longer than a year typically must be signed in writing under state statutes of frauds; the ESIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. § 7001, and state UETA laws allow that signature to be electronic. Security deposit limits and return deadlines are set by each state.
The deposit that could not be kept
A landlord in North Carolina deducted carpet replacement from a security deposit after a two-year tenancy. The tenant said the stains were there at move-in. There was no signed move-in checklist and the landlord had to return the full amount. For the next tenant he used a signed move-in condition report with photos, completed on his phone during the walkthrough. At move-out, the comparison was simple and the deduction was not disputed.
What to put in writing before handing over the keys
- Names of every adult occupant, the rent, the due date and how rent is paid.
- The security deposit amount and the conditions for deductions, within your state limits.
- Who pays which utilities and who handles lawn care, snow and minor repairs.
- Rules on pets, guests, smoking and subletting.
- A signed move-in condition checklist, with photos, attached to the lease.
- Required disclosures, such as lead-based paint for most homes built before 1978.
Questions people ask about this
Is an online lease legally binding?
Yes. Electronic signatures are valid for leases under the ESIGN Act and state UETA laws. Make sure the lease itself includes the disclosures your state requires.
Can I use it for just one property?
Yes. The free plan is designed for exactly that: a few documents, signed properly, without paying for software built for large companies.
Can my tenant sign on a phone?
Yes. Tenants open the link and sign in the browser on any phone or computer.
What about a roommate added mid-lease?
Send an addendum to all parties for signature, so the new roommate and the existing tenants agree in writing.