Legalities of Rental Lease Forms

[James M.]

Hey guys, I’ve got a quick question in regards to my lease form. I pulled my lease from the Bigger Pockets “Managing Rental Properties” book, and tailored it to suit my property. My question is am I legally able to tailor the lease to suit my property, etc. I have a friend who has suggested that I should use the California Association of Realtors form but it is so generic that I really don’t like it. Any thoughts?

[Bryan Zuetel]

@James M., even though the California Association of Realtors form is generic in some regards, it is a time-tested, updated, California-specific lease agreement with the backing of a statewide organization focused on real estate.  I have not reviewed the lease from the Bigger Pockets book.  But, I can tell you that I consistently have clients and potential clients come to me with unfortunate situations involving lease agreements (sometimes found on the Internet) that are simply not California compliant or unenforceable.