📄 Free State Lease Agreements

All 50 States + DC + City-Specific Versions — Fillable PDF

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State-Specific Lease Agreements: Every lease is pre-configured with the correct security deposit limit, nonpayment notice period, required disclosures, and statute references for that state. Fill it in online and download instantly.

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Free State Lease Agreements

Which lease do I need, and what changes from state to state?

Use the lease for the state where the property sits, not the state where you live. A residential lease is governed by the law of the property’s location, and the terms that most often decide a dispute are the ones that vary: how much you may hold as a security deposit and how fast you must account for it, which disclosures must be attached before signing, how much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy, and what you may charge an applicant before they ever move in. A generic template gets the structure right and those four things wrong.

The table below pairs every state with its rental application fee rule, because that is the first money question in a tenancy and the rules diverge sharply: some states ban application fees outright, some allow only recovery of an actual screening cost, and roughly half impose no statutory limit at all. Each row links to that state’s lease, its landlord-tenant law guide, its security-deposit rules, and its screening rules.

Application fee and screening charge rules by state

Read a blank cap as “no statutory ceiling”, not as “anything goes” — a fee can still be challenged as discriminatory or as an unlawful charge under other law. Currency dates differ by state; each row names the controlling section so it can be re-checked.

StateFee rule and authorityState guides
AlabamaAla. Code § 35-9A-101 to 35-9A-603 (Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) – all 48 sections examined; the only money-in-advance rule is § 35-9A-201 (security deposits) — No Alabama statute regulates rental application or tenant-screening fees in any form – no cap, no actual-cost limit, no receipt/itemization duty, no refund duty, no portable-report rule.Alabama lease agreement · Alabama landlord-tenant laws · Alabama security deposit rules · Alabama screening laws
AlaskaAS 34.03.010 to 34.03.380 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) – all 43 sections examined, silent — Alaska's URLTA contains no rental-application or screening-fee provision of any kind.Alaska lease agreement · Alaska landlord-tenant laws · Alaska security deposit rules · Alaska screening laws
ArizonaA.R.S. tit. 33, ch. 10, § 33-1301 to 33-1381 (Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) – 51 live sections examined — Arizona's residential landlord-tenant act does not regulate application or screening fees; the nearest provision, A.R.S. Sec. 33-1321(B), governs nonrefundable fees UNDER A RENTAL AGREEMENT, not fees taken from an applicant before tenancy.Arizona lease agreement · Arizona landlord-tenant laws · Arizona security deposit rules · Arizona screening laws
ArkansasArk. Code Ann. § 18-17-101 to 18-17-913 (Arkansas Residential Landlord-Tenant Act of 2007), enacted by Acts 2007, No. 1004 (HB 2540) — Arkansas has no statutory regulation of rental application or screening fees; the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act of 2007 as enacted contains no such provision.Arkansas lease agreement · Arkansas landlord-tenant laws · Arkansas security deposit rules · Arkansas screening laws
CaliforniaCal. Civil Code § 1950.6 — Application screening fee capped at actual out-of-pocket cost AND at a hard ceiling of thirty dollars ($30) per applicant, CPI-adjustable annually since 1 Jan 1998 (so the real 2026 ceiling is materially above $30); itemized receipt required; no fee where no unit is or will be available; and since AB 2493 the landlord must run either a first-qualified-applicant process or refund the entire fee to every applicant not selected. (Cal. Civil Code § 1950.6)California lease agreement · California landlord-tenant laws · California security deposit rules · California screening laws
ColoradoC.R.S. § 38-12-903 / 904 / 905 — Rental application fee regulated – actual-cost limit, equal-fee rule, disclosure and refund duties.Colorado lease agreement · Colorado landlord-tenant laws · Colorado security deposit rules · Colorado screening laws
ConnecticutConn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-4d — Landlord may not charge a processing/application fee; a tenant screening fee is permitted but capped at $50 adjusted for CPI (ban on application fees plus a capped screening fee). (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-4d)Connecticut lease agreement · Connecticut landlord-tenant laws · Connecticut security deposit rules · Connecticut screening laws
Delaware25 Del. C. § 5514(d); 25 Del. C. § 5310 (assurance money); see also § 5311 (no nonrefundable fee as a condition of occupancy) — DOLLAR CAP: a landlord may charge a creditworthiness application fee not exceeding THE GREATER OF 10 percent of the monthly rent or $50, must furnish a receipt on receipt of the fee, must keep complete records of all application fees for at least 2 years, and overcharging entitles the tenant to DOUBLE the amount charged. Separately, a prospective landlord may not charge more than the SPECIFIC COST of any credit or other investigation, may not take 'assurance money', and must retain each application record for 6 months (Consumer Protection Unit enforcement). The operative ceiling on any given application is the LOWER of the two limits. (25 Del. C. § 5514(d); 25 Del. C. § 5310 (assurance money); see also § 5311 (no nonrefundable fee as a condition of occupancy))Delaware lease agreement · Delaware landlord-tenant laws · Delaware security deposit rules · Delaware screening laws
District of ColumbiaD.C. Code § 42-3505.10 (‘Tenant screening’) — $50 application fee cap (CPI-adjustable annually from 1 Jan 2024), no other fee before lease signing, only ONE application fee where the same provider's units are applied for within 30 days, refund of any unused portion, and an extensive pre-fee written disclosure duty (fees, screening criteria, automatic-denial criteria, unit availability, response time, dispute and complaint rights). (D.C. Code § 42-3505.10 (‘Tenant screening’))District of Columbia lease agreement · District of Columbia landlord-tenant laws · District of Columbia security deposit rules · District of Columbia screening laws
FloridaF.S. § 83.425 (preemption); F.S. § 718.112(2)(k) (condo approval fee cap); F.S. § 719.106(1)(i) (co-op cap); F.S. § 83.683 (servicemember application-processing deadline – a timing duty, not a fee rule) — NO statewide regulation of a landlord's application or screening fee – and Florida expressly PREEMPTS local governments from imposing one. BUT where a CONDOMINIUM association must approve a lease its approval fee 'may not exceed $150 per applicant' (CPI-adjusted every 5 years), and for a COOPERATIVE the ceiling is '$100 per applicant', with no charge at all on renewal with the same lessee. Do not conflate the two. (F.S. § 83.425 (preemption); F.S. § 718.112(2)(k) (condo approval fee cap); F.S. § 719.106(1)(i) (co-op cap); F.S. § 83.683 (servicemember application-processing deadline – a timing duty, not a fee rule))Florida lease agreement · Florida landlord-tenant laws · Florida security deposit rules · Florida screening laws
GeorgiaO.C.G.A. tit. 44, ch. 7 (Landlord and Tenant) – *** THIS CHAPTER’S TEXT COULD NOT BE READ FROM ANY FREE OFFICIAL PRIMARY SOURCE *** — Georgia imposes no cap, cost limit, refund duty or disclosure duty on rental application or screening fees; the state's own housing agency describes them as ordinarily non-refundable even on denial.Georgia lease agreement · Georgia landlord-tenant laws · Georgia security deposit rules · Georgia screening laws
HawaiiHRS § 521-46 — Cost-recovery only (no flat cap): fee limited to actual cost; the applicant must be 18 or older OR an emancipated minor; a receipt and itemized breakdown are owed UPON REQUEST by the applicant; and the 30-day refund clock runs from when the landlord submitted the screening requests, not from application or payment.Hawaii lease agreement · Hawaii landlord-tenant laws · Hawaii security deposit rules · Hawaii screening laws
IdahoI.C. § 55-305 (Limitation on fees for tenants of a rental property); I.C. § 6-301 to 6-324 and § 55-301 to 55-315 examined in full; § 55-306 (local preemption) — Idaho does not regulate rental application or screening fees; its only fee statute, I.C. Sec. 55-305, requires that fees be 'reasonable' and be stated in the rental agreement, and by its terms runs to 'a residential TENANT' / 'the TENANT of a rental property', not to an applicant who has not yet rented.Idaho lease agreement · Idaho landlord-tenant laws · Idaho security deposit rules · Idaho screening laws
Illinois765 ILCS 705/30 (Reusable tenant screening report) – IN FORCE; 765 ILCS 705/35 (Rental fee transparency and limitations) – DELAYED — TWO DISTINCT PROVISIONS AND THE SPLIT MATTERS. IN FORCE NOW: if a prospective tenant supplies a qualifying reusable tenant screening report (prepared within the previous 30 days by a consumer credit reporting agency at the applicant's request and expense, available to the landlord at no cost, covering the landlord's consistently-used criteria), the landlord MAY NOT CHARGE a fee to access it OR an application screening fee at all; (765 ILCS 705/30 (Reusable tenant screening report) – IN FORCE; 765 ILCS 705/35 (Rental fee transparency and limitations) – DELAYED) the landlord may still run its own additional report but not charge for it. ENACTED BUT NOT YET IN FORCE: from 1 January 2027, a $50 cap on any rental application fee including background checks, exceeded only where a third-party check actually costs more AND the landlord fronts the cost AND bills the applicant with receipts within 14 days (otherwise the fee is waived), plus an anti-renaming clause, a private right of action, and an exemption for owner-occupied premises of 6 units or fewer. (765 ILCS 705/30 (Reusable tenant screening report) – IN FORCE; 765 ILCS 705/35 (Rental fee transparency and limitations) – DELAYED)Illinois lease agreement · Illinois landlord-tenant laws · Illinois security deposit rules · Illinois screening laws
IndianaIC 32-31 (Landlord-Tenant Relations) – examined, silent; IC 32-31-1-20(c) is the preemption clause — No Indiana statute regulates application or screening fees, AND Indiana expressly VOIDS any local ordinance regulating the screening process, lease applications, or 'any fees charged by a landlord'.Indiana lease agreement · Indiana landlord-tenant laws · Indiana security deposit rules · Indiana screening laws
IowaIowa Code ch. 562A (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law) – examined in full, silent; ch. 562B (manufactured home communities) also checked — Nothing in Iowa's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Law regulates application or screening fees.Iowa lease agreement · Iowa landlord-tenant laws · Iowa security deposit rules · Iowa screening laws
KansasK.S.A. ch. 58 art. 25, comprising § 58-2501 to 58-2534 (general landlord-tenant) and the Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, § 58-2540 to 58-2573 (plus 58-2574) – all 74 live sections examined, silent — Nothing in the Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act or the general landlord-tenant sections regulates application or screening fees.Kansas lease agreement · Kansas landlord-tenant laws · Kansas security deposit rules · Kansas screening laws
KentuckyKRS ch. 383 (Rental of Property; FED; URLTA at KRS 383.500-383.715) – all 96 sections examined, silent. Related but not a fee rule: KRS 383.198 (2024) barring conflicting local ordinances; KRS 383.500 authorising cities/counties to enact URLTA ‘in their entirety and without amendment’. — No Kentucky statute regulates application or screening fees; the opt-in URLTA text itself contains no fee provision, and since 2024 localities may not adopt conflicting landlord-tenant ordinances.Kentucky lease agreement · Kentucky landlord-tenant laws · Kentucky security deposit rules · Kentucky screening laws
LouisianaLa. R.S. 9:3258.1 (‘Residential lease application requirements’) — Regulated WITHOUT a dollar cap and WITHOUT a remedy: a lessor may not require payment of an application fee unless, BEFORE accepting it, the lessor gives written notice of (1) the amount of the fee, (2) whether it considers credit scores, employment history, criminal history or eviction records, and (3) that the applicant may share a statement of 200 words or less explaining financial hardship from a declared disaster or emergency and its effect on their credit, employment or rental history, with that notice referencing the COVID-19 pandemic and hurricanes. No cap, no refund duty. Exempts owner-occupied buildings of no more than four units, and subsection D grants lessors and their agents blanket IMMUNITY from all causes of action for violations.Louisiana lease agreement · Louisiana landlord-tenant laws · Louisiana security deposit rules · Louisiana screening laws
Maine14 M.R.S. § 6030-H — Application fee is banned; landlord may charge one actual-cost screening check, must give the applicant a copy, and may charge only one such fee per 12-month period.Maine lease agreement · Maine landlord-tenant laws · Maine security deposit rules · Maine screening laws
MarylandMd. Code, Real Property § 8-213 — De-facto $25 non-refundable ceiling: any fee other than a security deposit that EXCEEDS $25 must be returned within 15 days of occupancy or of a decision that no tenancy will occur, less only the portion actually expended on a credit check or other application expenses; failure means liability for TWICE the fees. The lease application must itself explain this. EXEMPT: landlords offering four or fewer units at one location, and seasonal and condominium rentals. (Md. Code, Real Property § 8-213)Maryland lease agreement · Maryland landlord-tenant laws · Maryland security deposit rules · Maryland screening laws
MassachusettsM.G.L. c. 186 § 15B(1)(b) — Effective ban: at or prior to commencement of a tenancy a lessor or the lessor's agent may require only (i) first month's rent, (ii) last month's rent, (iii) a security deposit up to one month's rent, and (iv) the cost of a key and lock – an application or screening fee is not on the exhaustive list and so may not be required.Massachusetts lease agreement · Massachusetts landlord-tenant laws · Massachusetts security deposit rules · Massachusetts screening laws
Michigan1972 PA 348, MCL 554.601-554.616 (Landlord and Tenant Relationships / security deposits) and the Truth in Renting Act, 1978 PA 454, MCL 554.631-554.641 – examined, silent — Michigan law does not regulate rental application fees or tenant screening/credit-check fees – no cap, no actual-cost limit, no refund, receipt, disclosure or portable-report duty. Michigan's only fee-to-applicant rule is the SECURITY DEPOSIT cap, which is a different subject.Michigan lease agreement · Michigan landlord-tenant laws · Michigan security deposit rules · Michigan screening laws
MinnesotaMinn. Stat. § 504B.173 — Regulated WITHOUT a dollar cap: no screening fee where the landlord knows no unit is or will be available; a written receipt on request; the fee may not be used, cashed or deposited until prior applicants are resolved; the fee must be RETURNED if the applicant is rejected for a reason not disclosed or if a prior applicant takes the unit, and any unused portion must be returned if no reference check or report was actually obtained; the screening service and the rental criteria must be disclosed in writing BEFORE the fee is accepted; rejection notice within 14 days; landlord liable for the fee plus a civil penalty up to $100. (Minn. Stat. § 504B.173)Minnesota lease agreement · Minnesota landlord-tenant laws · Minnesota security deposit rules · Minnesota screening laws
MississippiMiss. Code Ann. § 89-8-1 to 89-8-45 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), all 23 sections – examined, silent; § 89-8-21(1) is the carve-out — Nothing in the Mississippi Residential Landlord and Tenant Act regulates application or screening fees; the deposit statute expressly CARVES OUT payments 'made to secure the execution of a rental agreement'.Mississippi lease agreement · Mississippi landlord-tenant laws · Mississippi security deposit rules · Mississippi screening laws
MissouriRSMo ch. 441 (Landlord and Tenant) and ch. 535 (Landlord-Tenant Actions) – all 95 sections examined, silent. Related but not a fee rule: § 441.043.2(2) and (3). — No Missouri statute regulates application or screening fees; a 2025 act instead PREEMPTS local ordinances restricting a landlord's use of credit reports, criminal or eviction history, or limiting security deposits.Missouri lease agreement · Missouri landlord-tenant laws · Missouri security deposit rules · Missouri screening laws
MontanaMCA tit. 70 ch. 24 pts. 1-4 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act of 1977, § 70-24-101 to 70-24-442) and MCA tit. 70 ch. 25 pts. 1-2 (Residential Tenants’ Security Deposits, § 70-25-101 to 70-25-206) – examined, silent — Montana law does not regulate rental application fees or tenant screening/credit-check fees at all – no cap, no actual-cost limit, no refund duty, no receipt duty, no criteria-disclosure duty, no portable-report duty.Montana lease agreement · Montana landlord-tenant laws · Montana security deposit rules · Montana screening laws
NebraskaNeb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1401 to 76-14,110 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) – examined, silent — No Nebraska statute regulates rental application or tenant-screening fees – the URLTA is silent (no cap, no cost limit, no receipt duty, no refund duty).Nebraska lease agreement · Nebraska landlord-tenant laws · Nebraska security deposit rules · Nebraska screening laws
NevadaNRS 118A.306 — Regulated WITHOUT a dollar cap: a landlord must refund any application, credit-report or background-check fee if it rents the unit to a different applicant and did not perform the activity the fee paid for, and may not charge any such fee for a MINOR household member.Nevada lease agreement · Nevada landlord-tenant laws · Nevada security deposit rules · Nevada screening laws
New HampshireRSA 540-A:3, VIII (remedy at RSA 540-A:4, IX(f)) — Regulated WITHOUT a dollar cap: BEFORE collecting any fee as part of the rental application or renewal process the landlord must disclose in writing to prospective tenants the amount of the fee and any satisfactory criminal-background-and-credit-check requirement; if the fee is collected but the unit is NOT rented to that applicant, the landlord must return everything beyond the actual cost of the documented background check, credit check and reasonable administrative costs within 30 days. Remedy is unusually narrow – return of all application monies plus court costs only, with no multiple damages.New Hampshire lease agreement · New Hampshire landlord-tenant laws · New Hampshire security deposit rules · New Hampshire screening laws
New JerseyN.J.S.A. 46:8-18.1 — A landlord shall not require an application or similar fee exceeding $50 to apply to lease a residential rental property. The cap is CPI-indexed annually from 1 January 2027. It does NOT apply to one- or two-family dwellings, nor to New Jersey Real Estate Commission licensees unless the licensee is the landlord. Penalties escalate at $500, $750 and $1,000. (N.J.S.A. 46:8-18.1)New Jersey lease agreement · New Jersey landlord-tenant laws · New Jersey security deposit rules · New Jersey screening laws
New MexicoNMSA § 47-8-19.2 — A landlord shall not require an application or similar fee exceeding $50 to apply to lease a residential rental property. The cap is CPI-indexed annually from 1 January 2027. It does NOT apply to one- or two-family dwellings, nor to New Jersey Real Estate Commission licensees unless the licensee is the landlord. Penalties escalate at $500, $750 and $1,000. (NMSA § 47-8-19.2)New Mexico lease agreement · New Mexico landlord-tenant laws · New Mexico security deposit rules · New Mexico screening laws
New YorkN.Y. Real Property Law § 238-a(1) — Near-total ban: no fee or charge may be demanded for processing, reviewing or accepting an application, EXCEPT background and credit checks, whose cumulative fee may not exceed the ACTUAL COST or twenty dollars ($20), whichever is LESS; the fee must be waived if the applicant supplies a check conducted within the past 30 days; and the landlord may not collect it without giving the applicant a copy of the check plus the vendor's receipt or invoice. Carve-outs exist for CCRCs, assisted living, adult care facilities and certain co-ops. (N.Y. Real Property Law § 238-a(1))New York lease agreement · New York landlord-tenant laws · New York security deposit rules · New York screening laws
North CarolinaN.C.G.S. Chapter 42 (Art. 5 Residential Rental Agreements; Art. 6 Tenant Security Deposit Act § 42-50 to 42-56; § 42-46 late fees) – examined, silent — No North Carolina statute regulates application or screening fees; Chapter 42 reaches only security deposits, pet deposits and late fees.North Carolina lease agreement · North Carolina landlord-tenant laws · North Carolina security deposit rules · North Carolina screening laws
North DakotaN.D.C.C. ch. 47-16 (Leasing of Real Property), incl. 47-16-07.1 security deposits – examined, silent — No North Dakota statute regulates application or screening fees.North Dakota lease agreement · North Dakota landlord-tenant laws · North Dakota security deposit rules · North Dakota screening laws
OhioO.R.C. Chapter 5321 (Landlords and Tenants), incl. 5321.16 security deposits – examined, silent — No Ohio statute regulates application or screening fees.Ohio lease agreement · Ohio landlord-tenant laws · Ohio security deposit rules · Ohio screening laws
Oklahoma41 O.S. Title 41 (Landlord and Tenant), incl. the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act § 41-101 to 41-136 and § 41-115 damage/security deposits – examined, silent — No Oklahoma statute regulates application or screening fees.Oklahoma lease agreement · Oklahoma landlord-tenant laws · Oklahoma security deposit rules · Oklahoma screening laws
OregonORS 90.295 (and ORS 90.297(1), which bars any other applicant fee or deposit) — Regulated WITHOUT a flat dollar cap: an applicant screening charge may not exceed the landlord's average actual cost or the customary amount charged by screening companies; receipt and screening confirmation required; ONE screening charge per applicant per 60-day period; written criteria and notice required before the fee is taken; 30-day refund if the unit is filled first or no screening was done; damages of twice the charge plus $250. (ORS 90.295 (and ORS 90.297(1), which bars any other applicant fee or deposit))Oregon lease agreement · Oregon landlord-tenant laws · Oregon security deposit rules · Oregon screening laws
PennsylvaniaLandlord and Tenant Act of 1951, Act of Apr. 6, 1951, P.L. 69, No. 20 (68 P.S. § 250.101 to 250.510-B) – examined in full, silent — No Pennsylvania STATE statute regulates application or screening fees. The only regulation is MUNICIPAL (Philadelphia) and must not be reported as state law.Pennsylvania lease agreement · Pennsylvania landlord-tenant laws · Pennsylvania security deposit rules · Pennsylvania screening laws
Rhode IslandR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-59 (‘Fair limitation on rental application fees’) — Outright ban on rental application fees, with a narrow carve-out: no fee may be charged if the applicant supplies a state criminal background check or credit report issued within the last 90 days; otherwise the charge may not exceed the ACTUAL COST of obtaining the check, and the applicant must be given a copy.Rhode Island lease agreement · Rhode Island landlord-tenant laws · Rhode Island security deposit rules · Rhode Island screening laws
South CarolinaS.C. Code Ann. tit. 27, ch. 40 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), § 27-40-10 to 27-40-940 – examined in full, silent — No South Carolina statute regulates rental application or tenant-screening fees; the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act is silent.South Carolina lease agreement · South Carolina landlord-tenant laws · South Carolina security deposit rules · South Carolina screening laws
South DakotaSDCL ch. 43-32 (Lease of Real Property) examined in full, and additionally ALL of SDCL Title 43 (Property) – silent — No South Dakota statute regulates rental application or tenant-screening fees.South Dakota lease agreement · South Dakota landlord-tenant laws · South Dakota security deposit rules · South Dakota screening laws
TennesseeNo application or screening fee provision exists. Verified by reading all five part indexes of the Tennessee URLTA (47 sections) plus ch. 7 Leases and ch. 35 Rent Control; the only fee language in the Act is the late fee. Note the Act applies ONLY in counties over 75,000 population per the 2010 federal census (Sec. 66-28-102(a)), and where it applies it preempts the entire field of landlord-tenant regulation (Sec. 66-28-102(e)), so a local cap would also fail.Tennessee lease agreement · Tennessee landlord-tenant laws · Tennessee security deposit rules · Tennessee screening laws
TexasTex. Prop. Code tit. 8 ch. 92 subch. I (‘Rental Application’): § 92.351(1-a) (defines ‘application fee’ as a nonrefundable sum given to offset the costs of screening an applicant); § 92.3515(a)-(f); § 92.354 (liability); § 92.355 (anti-waiver) — Regulated WITHOUT a dollar cap: Texas sets no limit on the amount, but CONDITIONS the right to keep it – at the time the applicant is given a rental application the landlord must make available a printed notice of its tenant-selection criteria and the grounds for denial and take a signed acknowledgment, and IF IT REJECTS THE APPLICANT WITHOUT HAVING MADE THAT NOTICE AVAILABLE IT MUST RETURN THE APPLICATION FEE AND ANY APPLICATION DEPOSIT. Bad-faith retention exposes the landlord to $100 plus three times the amount wrongfully retained plus attorney's fees. The right is non-waivable. (Tex. Prop. Code tit. 8 ch. 92 subch. I (‘Rental Application’): § 92.351(1-a) (defines ‘application fee’ as a nonrefundable sum given to offset the costs of screening an applicant); § 92.3515(a)-(f); § 92.354 (liability); § 92.355 (anti-waiver))Texas lease agreement · Texas landlord-tenant laws · Texas security deposit rules · Texas screening laws
UtahUtah Code § 57-22-4(3) and (4) (Utah Fit Premises Act) — Regulated WITHOUT a dollar cap: BEFORE accepting an application fee or any other payment from a prospective renter the owner must disclose in writing a good-faith estimate of rent and each fixed non-rent expense, the type of each use-based non-rent expense, the scheduled availability date, THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA the owner will use (including criminal history, credit, income, employment and rental history), and the money-recovery process; and must return ALL money paid within 5 business days on written demand where the estimate did not match the rental agreement. NOTE the refund trigger is an estimate/agreement MISMATCH, not a general refund-on-rejection right, and there is no dollar cap and no actual-cost limit.Utah lease agreement · Utah landlord-tenant laws · Utah security deposit rules · Utah screening laws
Vermont9 V.S.A. § 4456a — Outright ban for RESIDENTIAL rentals – a landlord shall not charge an application fee to any individual in order to apply to enter into a rental agreement for a residential dwelling unit. The same subsection expressly preserves fees for commercial and other nonresidential property, so the ban is not general.Vermont lease agreement · Vermont landlord-tenant laws · Vermont security deposit rules · Vermont screening laws
VirginiaVa. Code § 55.1-1203(C) (current); renumbered to § 55.1-1203(D) in the version effective 1 July 2027 — Application fee capped at $50, exclusive of actual out-of-pocket amounts paid to a third party for background, credit or other pre-occupancy checks; $32 for HUD-regulated or public housing units. A refundable application DEPOSIT may be taken in addition, and the excess over the landlord's actual expenses must be refunded with an itemization within 20 days (10 days if paid in cash or by certified/cashier's check or money order). (Va. Code § 55.1-1203(C) (current); renumbered to § 55.1-1203(D) in the version effective 1 July 2027)Virginia lease agreement · Virginia landlord-tenant laws · Virginia security deposit rules · Virginia screening laws
WashingtonRCW 59.18.257 (and RCW 59.18.253 for waiting-list and holding fees) — Regulated WITHOUT a flat dollar cap: a landlord may charge screening costs ONLY after giving written notice of what will be checked, the denial criteria, the consumer-reporting agency, and whether it will accept a comprehensive REUSABLE tenant screening report; a self-screening landlord may charge only actual costs not exceeding the customary local screening-service charge; adverse-action notice required; $100 statutory liability. Separately, a waiting-list fee is unlawful and a holding fee is capped at 25% of first month's rent (which expressly EXCLUDES screening costs). (RCW 59.18.257 (and RCW 59.18.253 for waiting-list and holding fees))Washington lease agreement · Washington landlord-tenant laws · Washington security deposit rules · Washington screening laws
West VirginiaW. Va. Code § 37-6A-1(2) and 37-6A-1(14) — NO cap, ban, actual-cost limit, receipt duty or refund duty. West Virginia merely DEFINES 'application fee' and excludes it from the security-deposit regime ONLY IF the parties expressly agree in writing that it is nonrefundable – a written-disclosure condition, not a fee regulation.West Virginia lease agreement · West Virginia landlord-tenant laws · West Virginia security deposit rules · West Virginia screening laws
WisconsinWis. Stat. § 704.085 — No general application-fee cap. The section is titled Credit and background checks: the landlord may recover its ACTUAL COST up to $25 for a credit check; may not charge it where the applicant supplies a report less than 30 days old BEFORE the landlord orders one; and may charge a separate additional amount capped at $25 for an out-of-state background check. (Wis. Stat. § 704.085)Wisconsin lease agreement · Wisconsin landlord-tenant laws · Wisconsin security deposit rules · Wisconsin screening laws
WyomingWyo. Stat. Ann. tit. 1, ch. 21, art. 12 (Residential Rental Property), § 1-21-1201 to 1-21-1211 – examined in full, silent — No Wyoming statute regulates rental application or tenant-screening fees.Wyoming lease agreement · Wyoming landlord-tenant laws · Wyoming security deposit rules · Wyoming screening laws

What every state lease has to carry regardless of where you are

One disclosure is federal and applies in every state. For target housing built before 1978, the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act at 42 U.S.C. 4852d and its implementing rule at 24 CFR part 35 require the landlord to give the tenant the EPA-approved lead hazard pamphlet, disclose known lead-based paint and any records or reports, and include the prescribed warning language in the lease. The signed acknowledgment must be retained for three years from the start of the leasing period. Short-term leases of 100 days or fewer, renewals where no new information has come to light, and housing certified lead-free are outside the rule.

One point is commonly mis-stated on pages like this: the ten-day opportunity to conduct a risk assessment or inspection is a purchaser right under the federal rule. It is not a tenant right, and a lease does not have to offer it.

How to use these state pages

Start with the lease for your state and generate it. Then read that state’s security-deposit rules before you collect any money, because the deposit deadline runs from a date fixed by statute and missing it can forfeit the right to claim against the deposit entirely in some states. Check the screening rules before you take an application fee. Finally, read the landlord-tenant guide for the notice periods you will need later, since the notice that ends a tenancy is almost always the step that gets litigated.

Where a city or county adds its own ordinance on top of state law, the local rule usually controls and is frequently stricter. A state lease is the correct starting instrument, not the finishing one.

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Free State Lease Agreements — All 50 States

Each state-specific lease agreement is pre-configured with the correct security deposit limits, nonpayment notice periods, required disclosures, and state landlord-tenant statute references. Every form is a fillable PDF you can complete online and download instantly.

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