Step 1
Put the signed lease on the unit
One current PDF, attached to the property and the people on it. A desktop folder named Leases is not a record you can pull up from a showing or a late-rent call.
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How-to for small landlords
How to keep lease records as a small landlord.
The current lease should be on the unit: the signed PDF, the addenda, who lives there, and when it ends. A folder on your laptop is not that file.
Why the folder fails
The problem is not storage. It is which version is current.
- The signed PDF is in email. The pet addendum is in a different thread. The current version is whoever forwarded last.
- You remember the lease ends in June. June arrives and you are not sure which unit, which occupant, or whether it already renewed.
- A roommate moved in and nobody updated the file, so the lease still names last year's household.
A file you can trust
Four habits that keep the lease current.
Step 2
Keep addenda next to the lease
Pets, parking, early possession, a replaced appliance. If it changed the deal, it belongs with the signed lease, not in a second pile of scans.
Step 3
Write the start, end, and renewal date
A few doors still produce overlapping expirations. The date should live on the lease record so you see what is coming, not what you remembered on a Saturday.
Step 4
Update occupants when the household changes
A new adult, a roommate out, a name on the renewal. The file should match who actually lives there before you send the next document.
In Rentway
The lease, the addenda, and the dates sit on the unit.
Rentway is property-management software for landlords and managers. Lease records belong on the property, with e-signature when you need a new one. This is not tenant-ops copy.
Signed leases attached to the unit, not a desktop folder
Addenda stored with the lease they change
Start, end, and renewal dates you can see in one place
Occupants that match the current household
FAQ
- Can I still sign on paper?
- Yes. Scan the signed copy onto the same unit so the current version is not the last email attachment. The point is one file, not forcing every signature onto the same rail on day one.
- Can I try Rentway first?
- Yes. Rentway is a 14-day free trial with no card required. Live plans are on the pricing page.
Keep the current lease where you can find it.
Try Rentway for 14 days with no card required and keep leases on the unit instead of a desktop folder.
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