California association of realtors lease agreement template

Los Angeles, CA - RentSpree, the leading tenant screening company, has expanded its alliance with the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).

“We are pleased to enhance our ever-growing relationship with the California Association of REALTORS®. C.A.R. is one of the most progressive REALTOR® associations with over 200,000 members, and we are excited to collaborate by providing C.A.R. standard rental forms within our streamlined rental process,” said co-founder and CEO of RentSpree, Michael Lucarelli.

This integration provides C.A.R. members with the ability to create a digitized rental process, making the experience easier for members and renters.

After screening and securing a qualified applicant through RentSpree using a digital version of the “Application to Rent/Screening Fee” form (C.A.R. Form LRA), C.A.R. members can seamlessly generate and send a C.A.R. Lease Agreement form (C.A.R. Form LR) directly through RentSpree - all at no additional cost! Tenants and landlords can then complete and sign the lease agreement using digital signatures. Once completed, all parties will receive fully executed copies of all rental documents.

“We believe this forms integration will reduce members’ time to complete a rental transaction by up to 50%, giving them more time to generate leads,” said Jared Martin, chair of REBS, LLC, a subsidiary of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. “We’re excited to continue applying cutting edge technology to critical real estate processes, especially in the rapidly-growing rental arena.”
RentSpree provides a secure, all-in-one platform to review tenant applications, while granting access to full credit reports and scores, criminal background checks, and national eviction reports.
Access to utilize California Association of REALTORS® rental applications and lease agreements on RentSpree are available as of April 16, 2021.
For more information visit: car.rentspree.com/car-lease-agreement

About the California Association of REALTORS®:

Leading the way…® in California real estate for more than 110 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States with more than 200,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.

About RentSpree:

RentSpree provides award-winning software known in all 50 states for its universal tenant screening process, renter management, partnership program, and rental screening API that enables any platform to incorporate an automated screening process in as little as one week.

Start powering your rentals with RentSpree today

California association of realtors lease agreement template

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The California standard residential lease agreement is a document that property managers and landlords can use to define the terms and conditions for leasing their residential property to a tenant. The agreement should clearly identify the address of the property being rented, the names of each tenant, as well as that of any additional occupants. Before signing the lease, tenants should review the financial commitment expected of them to ensure that their income can sustain the monthly rent, utility expenses, security deposit, and any additional fees assigned in the agreement.

Rental Laws – CIV §§ 1940 – 1954.05

Handbook (Guide) – Guide to Residential Tenants’ and Landlords’ Rights

Security Deposits

Maximum (§ 1950.5(c)) – Two (2) Months’ Rent Unfurnished | Three (3) Months’ Rent Furnished

Returning (§ 1950.5(g)(1)) – Twenty-One (21) Days


When is Rent Due?

Tenants must pay rent on the date defined in the rental agreement when the term is for one (1) year or less. If the agreement does not specify a rental due date, rent must be paid at the end of the month (§ 1947).


Realtor Version

California association of realtors lease agreement template
Residential Lease or Month-to-Month Rental Agreement (Form LR) – This residential lease has been approved by the California Association of Realtors® for realtors and other industry professionals.

Download: PDF


Disclosures (13)

  1. AB 1482 Just Cause Addendum
  2. Bedbug Disclosure
  3. Demolition
  4. Flood
  5. Just Cause
  6. Lead-Based Paint Disclosure
  7. Megan’s Law
  8. Methamphetamine Contamination
  9. Ordnance Locations
  10. Pest Control
  11. Shared Utilities
  12. Smoking Policy
  13. Toxic Mold

1) AB 1482 Just Cause Addendum

This addendum must be signed and attached to the lease if the property meets certain requirements and is not subject to the rent increase or just cause laws of the California Civil Code.

  • Download: PDF
  • Laws: CIV Code §§ 1946.2(e)(8)(B)(i) & 1947.12(d)(5)(B)(i)

2) Bedbug Disclosure

Landlords are obligated to provide tenants with written notice with general information and education about bed bugs.

  • Download: PDF
  • Laws: CIV Code § 1954.603

3) Demolition

Before accepting any deposits or the signature of a rental agreement, landlords must give written notice if they have applied for a permit to demolish a rental unit.

  • Laws: CIV Code § 1940.6

4) Flood

The landlord must inform new tenants if the dwelling is located in a special flood hazard area.

  • Download: PDF
  • Laws: GOV Code § 8589.45

5) Just Cause

Unless the property meets the requirements in § 1946.2(f)(3) of the Civil Code, the Landlord is required to provide the following notice to the Tenant:

California law limits the amount your rent can be increased. See Section 1947.12 of the Civil Code for more information. California law also provides that after all of the tenants have continuously and lawfully occupied the property for 12 months or more or at least one of the tenants has continuously and lawfully occupied the property for 24 months or more, a landlord must provide a statement of cause in any notice to terminate a tenancy. See Section 1946.2 of the Civil Code for more information.

  • Laws: CIV Code § 1947.12 (d)(5) & CIV Code § 1946.2 (e)(8)

6) Lead-Based Paint Disclosure

The presence of toxic paint must be disclosed to all tenants if the property was built prior to 1978.

  • Download: PDF

7) Megan’s Law

Every lease and rental agreement must contain the written notice set forth in the statutes bellow notifying tenants that they have access to a registry of sex offenders in the area.

  • Laws: CIV Code § 2079.10a(a)(3)

8) Methamphetamine Contamination

Written notice must be provided to prospective tenants if the rental property has been contaminated with methamphetamine and if the property is subject to remediation. Additionally, a copy of the remediation order must be given to the tenant, and the tenant must state in writing they that have received a copy of this order.

  • Laws: CIV Code § 25400.28(b)

9) Ordnance Locations

If a landlord has knowledge of any former ordnance locations in the neighborhood of the rental unit, they must provide written notice to new tenants prior to the signature of the rental agreement.

  • Laws: CIV Code § 1940.17(b)

10) Pest Control

If periodic pest control services have been performed on a dwelling, the landlord must provide each new tenant a copy of the notice provided by the pest control company.

  • Laws: CIV Code § 1940.8

11) Shared Utilities

Tenants must be notified if the unit has a shared gas or electrical meter, and the tenant must be informed how the cost will be allocated between parties.

  • Laws: CIV Code § 1940.9

12) Smoking Policy

Should the landlord prohibit or limit smoking on the rental property, the rental agreement must describe the areas where smoking is prohibited.

  • Download: PDF
  • Laws: CIV Code § 1947.5

13) Toxic Mold

If the landlord has reason to believe that mold is present in the rental unit, and that mold exceeds California’s guidelines, then a written disclosure must be provided to all prospective and current tenants.

  • Download: PDF
  • Laws: HSC Code § 26147

Does Word have a lease agreement template?

Does Microsoft Word have a lease agreement template? Yes, Microsoft Word has a free lease agreement template that you can customize to create your own contract and minimize any potential problems between tenant and landlord.

Does California have a standard lease agreement?

A standard California residential lease agreement is a fixed-term contract (start and end date) between a landlord and tenant for the renting of property. The process usually begins with the tenant viewing the property and completing a rental application (which may require a fee).

Does a lease agreement need to be notarized in California?

No, lease agreements do not need to be notarized in California. As long as the criteria for a legally binding lease are met, it is not required to have the lease notarized. A tenant and landlord can agree to have the lease notarized if they wish, but it is not required by California state law.

What makes a lease legally binding in California?

The only verbal lease agreements considered legally binding in the State of California are those which last less than one year. Beyond this restriction, if the term of a lease is less than one year, but the end of the term is more than one year from the date of verbal agreement, the agreement must be put in writing.