If you have a lease agreement with a tenant and need to make additions or changes, you can use a lease agreement addendum template.
A lease agreement addendum is a document used to modify an existing lease when you need to add additional information or make changes to the terms.
Typically, you use an addendum when you only require a few additions or changes to the lease.
What Is a Lease Addendum?
A lease addendum is a legal document that adds to an existing lease. A lease agreement should contain all the terms and conditions of the rental arrangement between a landlord and tenant.
After signing a lease agreement, the landlord or tenant may wish to add or change some terms — that’s when an addendum comes in.
If the landlord and tenant have already signed a lease agreement and then agree to add or change one or more of the lease’s terms, they can sign a lease addendum containing the new terms.
The rest of the terms in the original lease agreement remain in effect, and only the terms included in the addendum are different.
The landlord and the tenant, the parties that signed the original lease agreement, must sign the addendum for it to be binding. In some cases, this applies when the lease is for more than a year.
Alternate Names for a Lease Agreement Addendum
Examples of alternate names for a lease agreement addendum include:
- Lease addendum
- Addendum to lease
- Residential lease addendum
- Rental agreement addendum
Types of Residential Lease Addendums
Download our Pet Addendum and Smoking Addendum to permit pets or prohibit smoking on your property.
Pet Addendum to a Lease Agreement: Use this notice to let a tenant know that your lease permits pets in the dwelling unit.
Download: Word (.docx) or Adobe PDF
Smoking Addendum to a Lease Agreement: Use this notice to inform a tenant that you prohibit smoking in the rental.
Download: Word (.docx) or Adobe PDF
Why Use a Lease Agreement Addendum?
You can use lease addendums for residential lease agreements in many different situations. Some of the more common types of uses include:
- Changing the lease term. If the tenant is staying longer than initially planned or moving out early, an addendum can change the lease’s time period (known as the lease term).
- Permitting an additional occupant. If the lease requires that the lease must name anyone living in the rental unit on the lease, an addendum is necessary to name any new occupant to the rental unit, such as a roommate or romantic partner.
- Permitting a sublease. Most leases forbid tenants from subleasing the rental unit without permission from the landlord. If the landlord agrees to allow the tenant to sublease the rental unit, you may wish to use a lease addendum.
- Changing the rent or other lease obligations. Most landlords and tenants will not agree to a rent change unless other circumstances change, such as the tenant taking over some of the maintenance of the property in exchange for a lower rent. Under those circumstances, the tenant and landlord should sign an addendum addressing the new rent amount to protect themselves in case of a later dispute.
- Permitting a pet. Many leases prohibit pets or require express permission from the landlord for pets. If the lease prohibits pets but the parties later decide to allow them, they should sign a lease addendum specifying that the pet is permitted. In that case, you may wish to include specifics about the type and number of pets allowed. You may also want to increase the rent or include a pet deposit in case the pet causes damage to the property.
How To Add an Addendum to a Lease
To add an addendum to a lease, you should discuss the terms you want to add to the lease with your tenant. If the tenant agrees, you must put the new terms into a written addendum.
Use our lease agreement addendum template and fill in your new terms.
A good template will do the following:
- Reference the original lease, including the date, location (address) of the rental property, and names of the tenant and landlord.
- Include a space to fill in the new terms you’ve agreed to. You should reference the paragraph number of the term you are modifying. For example, suppose you have decided to allow the tenant to have a pet and paragraph 15 of the original lease says pets are not allowed. In that case, the addendum should say that it is replacing paragraph 15 of the original lease.
- Expressly say that all other terms and conditions from the original lease remain the same and are still in effect.
- Include signature lines for the tenant and the landlord and the date of this addendum.
Once you have customized your addendum with a lease agreement addendum template, you should get the tenant’s signature for your agreement.
If you do not get the new terms in writing with a tenant’s signature, you are less likely to be able to enforce the document in court in case of a later dispute.
You also risk miscommunication with your tenant. In some cases, such as when the lease is for more than a year, a court will not recognize any changes to the lease that are not in writing.
How to Write an Addendum to Lease Agreement
Follow the steps below to write your lease agreement addendum.
Step 1 – Fill Out the Date of Addendum
Write the date of the Addendum to Lease Agreement.
Step 2 – Enter the Parties’ Information
Provide the full names and current addresses of the parties that are signing the Addendum. The first party is the landlord or management company and the second party is the tenant. If there is more than one tenant, enter the name of each additional tenant.
Step 3 – Enter the Date of the Lease Agreement
Write the effective date of the original Lease Agreement that this Addendum is referencing and attaching to.
Step 4 – Enter the Property Address
Provide the full street address of the rental property.
Step 5 – Describe Reason for Addendum
Provide what the landlord and tenant have agreed to add, clarify or revise in the original Lease Agreement such as information about the property inspection or the closing date.
Step 6 – Signatures
Both the landlord and tenant will sign the Addendum.
Lease Agreement Addendum Sample
Below is an example of what a lease agreement addendum looks like.
Lease Addendum Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Read on for answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about lease addendums.
What does an addendum to a lease mean?
An addendum to a lease means that one or more of the lease’s original terms have been changed or new additional terms have been added. The addendum does not replace the whole lease. Instead, a rental agreement addendum changes the specific terms listed in the addendum or adds new terms, and all the other terms in the original lease remain the same and in effect.
Is an addendum the same as a lease?
An addendum is not the same as a lease. Instead, it adds or changes terms to an existing lease. When there’s an addendum, the tenant and landlord have already entered into a lease but have agreed to change some of the lease’s terms. The new terms need to be in writing and signed by the parties to the original lease to be enforceable.
Is a disclosure a lease addendum?
A disclosure is not a lease addendum. Many states and even local cities require landlords to disclose certain information to tenants. For example, New York City landlords must disclose bedbug history, and section 83.49 of the Florida statutes requires that landlords provide a specific disclosure about holding advance rent and security deposits. Federal law requires all landlords to provide information about lead-based paint for residences built before 1978. A landlord merely fulfills their legal obligation to tell tenants about specific issues with a disclosure. An addendum adds or changes the terms of the original lease.