A monthly rental lease agreement is a signed contract that sets the dates, rent, deposit, fees and house rules for a stay of 30 days or more. Furnished Finder landlords can create state-specific leases and other legal documents, powered by Rocket Lawyer, and send them for e-signature from the Landlord Tools section of their dashboard.
You agree on the rent and the move-in date, shake hands, and the tenant arrives. Then someone asks to leave two weeks early, the utility bill doubles, or a dog shows up that never came up in conversation. Without anything in writing, you are sorting it out from memory.
A monthly rental lease agreement puts all of that on paper before anyone moves in. It is the one document that tells both sides what to expect, and what happens if plans change.
What a monthly rental lease agreement should include
A monthly rental is not a vacation booking, and it is not a standard 12-month apartment lease either. Your lease should match how monthly stays actually work. At a minimum, it should cover:
Dates and length of stay:
move-in and move-out dates, and how an extension works
Rent and payment terms:
the amount, when it is due, how you accept payment, and late fees
Deposit and fees:
deposit amount, cleaning fees, and what counts as damage versus normal wear and tear
Utilities:
whether they are included, and any cap on usage
Early termination:
how much notice a tenant must give if their assignment or project ends early
Pets and shared spaces:
what is allowed, what is not, and who can use what
If it matters to you, put it in the lease. A clause you never wrote down is hard to enforce later.
Why a free template can leave gaps
Free templates are easy to find. Most are written for long-term apartment rentals, not furnished monthly stays. They also may not reflect your state. Rental rules vary by state, and sometimes by city and county, and they can change what your lease needs to say. Depending on the age of your home, you may also need disclosures such as a lead paint statement.
Getting a lease wrong costs more than getting one right. That is the gap Furnished Finder built Leases & Legal Docs to close.
Many monthly rentals still start without a lease
In a recent Furnished Finder survey, only half of tenants said they signed a lease for their last booking. For a landlord, that means half of these stays rest on a handshake. A written, signed lease gives you something to point to if there is ever a disagreement.
How to build leases and legal documents in your Furnished Finder dashboard
You can create a lease without leaving your Furnished Finder dashboard. Open Landlord Tools, choose Leases & Legal Docs (opens in new tab), and answer a short set of questions about your rental. The tool builds a state-specific document from your answers, through our partnership with Rocket Lawyer. When it’s ready, send it to your tenant to review and sign online. E-signing is built in, and the signed copy is stored for you.
Beyond the lease itself, you can build:
Rental applications
Lease renewals and amendments
Pet addendums
Agreements to cancel a lease
Notices, such as a change in rent or a notice to enter
Move-in and welcome letters
Receipts for rent and security deposits
Step-by-step: create and send your first lease
Open Leases & Legal Docs.
Log in to your Furnished Finder dashboard, go to Landlord Tools, and select Leases & Legal Docs.
Choose your lease.
Select Create New Document, pick State-Specific Leases, and choose the lease for your state.
Answer the questions.
Your answers fill in your rates, rules and policies.
Send it for signature.
Your tenant gets an email with a link to review and sign online. Once everyone has signed, the document is stored securely.
Need to change something after sending? Cancel the signing request first, make your edits, and resend it. See the Help Center for a full walkthrough (opens in new tab).
How much do Leases & Legal Docs cost?
You pay per document, and the cost per document drops as the pack gets bigger. Pick the size that matches how you rent.
1 document: $19.99
Best for one-off needs. Use it for your first lease, a pet addendum when a tenant asks to bring a dog, or a document you didn’t see coming at move-out.
4 documents: $49.99 ($12.50 per document)
The most popular option. It covers a full stay from start to finish: your lease at move-in, any changes during the stay, and the paperwork at move-out, all at a lower cost per document.
10 documents: $74.99 ($7.50 per document)
The best value. It’s built for landlords with multiple properties, higher tenant turnover, or a busier year ahead.
Documents expire 12 months from the purchase date, so choose the pack you expect to use within the year.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lease for a monthly rental?
A written lease is the standard way to document the terms of a stay, and it gives you a record if a disagreement comes up. Check your state’s requirements, and use a lease that reflects them.
Can I edit a lease after I send it?
Yes. Cancel the signing request, edit the document, and send it again for signature.
Do my documents expire?
Yes. Purchased documents expire 12 months from the purchase date.
Is this legal advice?
No. Documents are generated from your answers. For specific legal questions, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.
Next Steps
Your next tenant shouldn’t be your first lease question. Log in to your Furnished Finder dashboard, open Landlord Tools, and create a state-specific lease in Leases & Legal Docs (opens in new tab). Not listing yet? List your property (opens in new tab) and get the tools to run your rental your way.