My mom is going to be renting our 2nd house, which we haven't been able to sell in the tough real estate market. We'd really like a simple lease/rental agreement in place, to prevent misunderstandings about who pays for what (e.g. utilities, etc.). The house is in Hoffman Estates, IL. Any advice? Is there such a thing as a FREE template?
Thanks so much to all who responded, online & offline! Mom was safely moved last weekend, and we were able to obtain a rental template to put in place.
I'm not sure about a free template, but I know Office Depot has pre-written, fill-in-the-blank leases for pretty cheap ($5-10).
There are some online, you just have to search for them. We are trying to rent our townhouse b/c it hasn't sold. I have a sample lease/rental application I found online, from Tenantverification.com. You can get the forms w/out signing up. You will need a rental application first, as this will ask the tenant for residential history, employment history, and banking info. This is also the form they sign to allow you to run a credit check. After you review their rental app. & check references as well as do a credit check...THEN you fill out & sign the lease. It sounds like you may have been ommitting the first, most important step. Good luck!
You should be able to find one at an Office Max type store. If not, get back to me and I can mail you one. You can also add an "adendum" to cover anything that the lease doesn't cover. Such as...No smoking on the premises, pets or no pets, type of pet, etc. I am a realtor with Baird & Warner. You might also find a sympathetic realtor at a nearby real estate office that might give you a residential lease form.
You also need a rental application so that you can run a credit check and get their past history. Be sure to collect a security deposit in the amount of one months rent to hold in case of damage to the property.
If your mom is realtor, she might have access to leases in her office. Otherwise, you can purchase lease forms from any office supply store or Legal Zoom.
If you can't find a lease on-line, I could send you one. My family owns an apartment complex in Joliet and we have tons at the office. Let me know if you need it! (and good for you for getting a lease in place, even if it is your mom!)
I would suggest checking with your local public library. A reference librarian should be able to help you find what you're looking for. I know there are books that have legal forms and there are probably forms on the internet. If the librarian for some reason can't find it, he or she should know where to send you for additional assistance. Best of all, you won't have to buy it! I just read over some of the other responses. Doing a credit check on your own mother? That may prove to be a bit awkward. Though the advice is good if you decide to rent to someone outside the family.
