I'm wondering how long is your agreements then. Has anyone ever posted what they thought was a perfect or near perfect agreement? Yes I know there are state specific laws and I'm sure its a long a tedious thing to do,.. but has anyone had theirs critiqued here? --71.192.xxx.xxx

Content is more important than length. Have attorney review. --174.201.xx.xxx

My lease started off at about 4 pages years ago. It's now 11. But I agree with NE (PA), content is more important than length. --24.243.xx.xx

Mine is 6 pages, but I need to add quite some stuff to it. The cost for attorney to review/write could save you a lot later. They're the ones that have to defend it, so they want something easy to defend. --98.175.xxx.xxx

Are you showing them the lease before they apply? I can't see the point in that unless there is a law in Mass. about that? --72.188.xxx.xxx

As far as content vs lenght,..certainly thats why I'm asking because I can't think of anything I would remove yet it seems like others say "I have that covered in mine" to just about any problem,.. --71.192.xxx.xxx

OK, I very rarely have anyone ask to see the lease in advance. Even the people i rent to, most of them read it for the first time the day before move in. --72.188.xxx.xxx

In answer to your question, no I don't think 4 pages is too long. I think mine is about 10 pages. --72.188.xxx.xxx

I haven't had a single person ask to see the lease before apply. Certainly before signing the lease, but never before submitting applications. --12.156.xxx.xx

I'm up to 14 pages and counting, and it turns no one off. They appreciate the clarity and our attention to detail of expectations on BOTH sides. --173.22.xx.xx

Mark, mine is 10 pages, and in over 30 years I can count on one hand the number of times someone has asked to see the application before hand, and I would still have 4 fingers left over. --72.214.xx.x

--71.192.xxx.xxx

Unless required by law to use specific verbiage, write your lease in language a 5th grader can understand. I got rid of a lot of there "hereins" and "heretofores" and "witnesseths"... these are not required in my state. --173.19.xx.xxx

Mark, my rental agreements both MTM & fixed term are 5 1/2 pages long. I use 14 point type & cover most of the each page. I also have a list of house rules which is several pages long depending upon the property. These house rules are referenced in the rental agreement & are stapled to it. Their move in packets also contains, the required lead info, a statement of condition, a SD form from the bank and a receipt for monies paid which specifies what the monies were applied to. I find that this works best for me. --72.93.xxx.xxx

In 30 + years.. I've not lost in court.. with specific contract language that is plain and simple...but covers many items... Oh and like buying a house, it's about 80 pages --162.247.xx.xx

the ones provided by the 3 big PA associations are all approx. 20ish pages. --72.95.xx.xxx

Ours is 13 pages (single sided) plus all the other paperwork like pre inspection, post inspection, bed bugs, medical marijuana, lead, mold & domestic violence pages. --70.194.xx.xxx

You can put some highlights in your advertising or on your application so people know in advance of applying. But, the specifics are laid out in the lease. --73.102.xxx.xx

Mine is 9 or 10 pages depending upon whether they have pets or not. I haven't had any issues with tenants not wanting to sign it. One thing I do is print it double-sided. To me, that makes it seem shorter. --70.178.x.xx

I think of her every time I add a new paragraph to my lease, or modify the way something is worded... My lease started off at 10 pages, and continues to be 10 pages, but it's been modified around 20 times since 2010. --96.46.xxx.xx

The point many here make is that its almost never done during the application process, only after the application is approved. --50.4.xxx.x

If the tenant has a particular concern, like they have a work truck they need to take home , or they have medical marijuana, etc etc, its up to them to bring up these situations --50.4.xxx.x

Mine is 15 pages long, plus an instruction page. As mentioned above by Kyle[IN], I have one page of the application where I list the important/controversial items, such as no smoking, no pets, etc. And I have them initial each of those on the application. The rest of the lease is shouldn't raise their eyebrows too much. --174.29.xx.xxx

BRAD --68.50.xx.xxx

BRAD --68.50.xx.xxx

BRAD --68.50.xx.xxx

The inspection form is two more pages. --70.48.xxx.xx

OK,... anyone post their's to see what a complete agreement can contain?. Yes I know some of the things are state specific in SOME things butI'm non plused to think of what can be put in 10-20 pages,... where can you find a good one? (local LL assocition wasn't much of a help)Maybe another in another part of the state. --71.192.xxx.xxx

I suggest that you get a copy of the 6th edition of Property Management for Massachusetts Rental Owners put out by HAP Housing(413.233.1500). Not only does it have some excellent info on rental agreements, it also has good info on owning & managing rental property in MA. --72.93.xxx.x

--72.214.xx.x

Thank you Jeffery and Steve! Will do both,.. --71.192.xxx.xxx

One attorney told me that if too many specific things are listed a judge might say that another particular problem wasn't covered. Statements that are more "blanket" type or general such as: Do nothing to change the walls of the rental. Would be looked at by a judge more favorably. But I do list things specific to a building such as one car must use the garage which is a common area. --73.33.xxx.xxx

Mine is 9 pages, shrunk from 16 a few years ago with replacement verbiage for parking, -account payments- and removed grace, some can not but when you can -ERASE GRACE, say it again Erase Grace, sounds good doesn't it, why reward bad behavior?? I have several jurisdictions so be sure you have all the local laws covered, some I scratch off at signing time to conform.. --76.188.xxx.xx