Rental Agreement: Lawyer or Online

[Andrew R.]

Should I go to a lawyer to write a rental agreement?  Or should I use a free one online and just make my own adjustments to it?  Thanks! 

[Nathan Gesner]

You should not write your own contract unless you are an attorney. You could write it yourself and it could work...until it doesn't. If you end up in court with a crap lease, there's a very good chance you would lose your case even if you are in the right.

One caveat: I wrote my own lease but then I took it to an attorney for review, revision, and approval. Works great but costs a lot of time and money.

The simplest option is to go to an attorney and purchase one. Try to find an attorney that specializes in real estate or works with a lot of investors.