Standard Residential Lease

Assemble the disclosure packet. Check the current applicant disclosure form, Tenant Bill of Rights and voter-registration materials, with ownership, licensing and rent-control or exemption information. Review required housing-code reports, known mold information and applicable lead disclosures. Give the tenant the completed lease and required documents; a template's outline does not establish that every attachment has been supplied.

Confirm the rent and charges. Match the unit's registered or exempt status, rent, permitted increases, fees, utilities and any pet terms across the agreement and disclosures. Review current limits and assistance-animal protections before adding charges. A written late-fee clause must satisfy the applicable cap and grace period, and a late charge is separate from a nonpayment eviction procedure.

Keep the deposit records complete. Review the one-month limit, required receipt, holding account, interest and inspection notices. Retain condition records, supporting costs and forwarding details. The forty-five-day refund or withholding-notice step is part of a wider accounting process; check subsequent itemization, balance-return and dispute requirements rather than treating the notice as a completed refund.

Separate access, renewal and possession. Routine entry generally requires forty-eight hours' written notice and compliant timing, with emergency exceptions. A tenant's move-out notice differs from a housing provider's right to recover possession. Fixed-term expiry alone does not establish a lawful reason to remove a tenant. Review current grounds and notice procedures separately, and keep repair reports, responses and required delivery records.

Keep monthly dates and rental status in the same record. Identify when the recurring arrangement begins, the rent due date and terms continuing from an earlier lease. Keep the unit’s registration or exemption information with that history. Distinguish a tenant’s planned departure from a housing provider’s proposed recovery of possession; review the agreement, lawful grounds and required notices before selecting a final date. Retain notices and delivery records, then separately arrange keys, condition review, utility accounts and forwarding details.

Review the rent proposal’s amount, form and timing. Identify the proposed rent, percentage change and first affected payment. The District’s rent-notice rule ties an increase to the first normal rent-payment day occurring more than 60 calendar days after notice, subject to additional applicable requirements. Check the agreement, any longer lease-related notice, current rent-control limits or exemption, housing-program rules and required forms or filings before selecting the date. Keep calculations, service records and any agreed amendment together. The Office of the Tenant Advocate provides current District rental resources.

Identify the room and shared facilities. Describe the private room, supplied furnishings, storage and parking, and list the common areas available to the resident. Confirm the signing parties and any permission needed under an existing lease. Review the actual arrangement's licensing, occupancy and rental-status requirements before offering the room. State the rent contribution, deposit, permitted charges and utility allocation clearly, and keep any separate roommate arrangement consistent with the housing provider's lease and disclosures.

Plan household routines and private-room access. Discuss cleaning, guests, quiet hours, pets, shared supplies and repair contacts. Record the room's condition, included items and relevant shared areas, with promised work in writing. Explain how maintenance or inspection access to the private room will be requested and scheduled under the applicable written-notice and timing requirements, with emergencies addressed separately. Retain agreed rules and changes when residents join or leave, and review the proper notice, possession, belongings and deposit process before changing access or payment responsibilities.