What to include in a rental agreement: a checklist for landlords

What to include in a rental agreement: a checklist for landlords2026-10-09Short answerA rental agreement should identify the parties and the property, set the term, the rent (amount, currency, due day and payment method), the deposit, who pays which utilities and repairs, the rules of use, the rent adjustment and how the agreement ends. Mandatory rules, such as minimum terms or caps on increases, depend on each country’s law: in Costa Rica Law 7527 applies; confirm its current articles in the official text or with a lawyer before signing.Before you start: this is not legal adviceThis guide is a general checklist, not legal advice. Rules on terms, rent increases, deposits and evictions vary from country to country and can change. In Costa Rica, property leases are governed by the General Law of Urban and Suburban Leases (Law 7527): check its current text and, if money or risk is involved, consult a lawyer.Clause checklist Recommended clauses in a rental agreement

Clause

What it should say

Parties

Full name, ID and contact details of the landlord and the tenant.

Property

Exact address, description and condition at handover (ideally with photos or an inventory).

Term

Start and end dates, and what happens at expiry (renewal or termination).

Rent

Amount, currency, due day, payment method and the account or channel where it is received.

Rent adjustment

Whether the rent is updated, when and by what criterion, within what the applicable law allows.

Deposit

Amount, where it is held, when it is applied and when and how it is returned.

Utilities and expenses

Who pays water, electricity, internet, condominium fees and taxes.

Use of the property

Purpose (residential or commercial), number of occupants, pets and subletting.

Maintenance and repairs

What the landlord repairs, what the tenant repairs and how issues are reported.

Termination

Grounds, advance notice and how the property is handed back.

Late payment

What happens if rent is late and how it is notified.

The agreement data most worth watchingOf the whole agreement, three data points rule day to day: the expiry date, the rent amount (and when it is adjusted) and the deposit. They are the ones that get forgotten if they live only in a PDF. Rentify reads the lease, extracts these dates, the amount and the deposit, and generates the rent charges; you review what was extracted and register it.After signing

Keep a copy signed by both parties and share another with the tenant.

Note the deposit received and where it is held.

Make an inventory with photos of the handover condition and store it with the agreement.

Frequently asked questions

What should a rental agreement include?

At a minimum: the parties, the property, the term, the rent (amount, currency, due day and payment method), the deposit, who pays utilities and repairs, the rules of use and the grounds for termination. Mandatory rules depend on each country’s law.

Which law governs rentals in Costa Rica?

Property leases in Costa Rica are governed by the General Law of Urban and Suburban Leases (Law 7527). Confirm the current text in the official source or with a lawyer before setting terms, rent adjustments or deposits.

Can software read my lease?

Rentify analyzes the lease with AI and extracts dates, amount and deposit, and generates the rent charges. You review what was extracted and register it: the decision stays yours.

Sources

Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica: Law 7527, General Law of Urban and Suburban Leases (in Spanish): Text of the law: check the current articles before setting the term, rent adjustment or deposit.

Rentify: AI lease analysis: What this guide says about Rentify.

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