Skip to main content
Sign in

Signing a Lease

  • Updated

What you'll learn in this article:

 

What if a lease signer didn't get the email to sign?

When the lease is shared for e-Signing, all renters will receive an email with a link to sign the lease. If the renters are having trouble finding this email, please first double-check that the email was entered correctly in the Lease signers section of the lease. If the email was entered correctly, they should check their spam and junk folders, as sometimes these emails are caught in spam filters. 

After all renters have signed the lease, the co-landlord will receive an email with a link to sign. Once you have verified that the co-landlord’s email was entered correctly, they should check their spam and junk folders if they are still having difficulty finding the email.

After all renters and the co-landlord have signed, you will get a notification email that the lease is ready for you to countersign. You can use the link in the email to sign, or navigate to the Leases section of your listing in Zillow Rental Manager. You will need to sign the lease while logged into the account that originally uploaded or created the lease. 


Why can I not yet sign the lease agreement?

All tenants must sign the lease before the landlord(s) can sign. If there is more than one landlord listed on the lease, then the co-landlord(s) must sign before the landlord is able to sign and complete the lease agreement. 


How do I upload a lease to sign online?

Landlords and property managers with rental homes in all states can use Zillow Rental Manager to upload and eSign their lease. 

To upload and sign an existing lease, please follow the steps below. 

  1. To upload a lease for e-signing, get started by logging into your Zillow account and navigating to the Leases tab of your rental listing to locate Zillow Leases
  2. After selecting the property, follow the prompts to upload your lease agreement.
  3. Upload the documents you want to be signed. Documents should be ready to sign before you upload them. You can upload images, PDFs, or Word documents smaller than 100 MB.
  4. After uploading all of the documents, click Start electronic signing. 
  5. Choose Fixed term or a Month-to-month term. If you choose Fixed term, enter the lease start/move-in date and the lease end date. 
  6. Add your tenants’ names and Zillow account emails. You can add up to 8 tenants. 
  7. Add the landlord’s information. If anyone else co-owns the property, click Yes and you will be able to add their information. 
  8. Click Next. 
  9. Using the placeholders on the left-hand side of the page, drag and drop signature and initial placeholders where each person should sign or initial. Be sure to add at least one signature placeholder for every lease signer. 
  10. Click Save, then click Request signatures. 
  11. Add a personal note to your renters if you wish, and agree to the lease use terms. 
  12. Click Request signatures.

That’s it! After you take the steps above, we will email your tenants with a link to sign the lease. After all tenants have signed, we will email your co-landlord (if you have included one in the lease) with a link to sign. After everybody else has signed, we will send you an email notification that the lease is ready to countersign. 


How do I co-sign my lease with my spouse or another co-owner of the property?

Online signing is available for co-landlords. The landlord creating the lease in their account can add the co-landlord when adding all parties to the lease. Our system will ask if anybody co-owns the property. Select Yes, and you will be prompted to add your co-landlord’s name and email.

When finishing your lease, you will request signatures of your renters and your co-landlord. The renters will need to complete their signatures first, then your co-landlord will be notified via email that the lease is ready for them to sign. 

Once all renters and the co-landlord have signed, the original landlord who sent the lease will need to sign into their Zillow Rental Manager account and ratify the lease by countersigning through their account. 


How do I create a lease on Zillow to sign online?

If your rental listing is an area that has lease creation available, you will see the option to create a lease in the Leases tab of your listing. 

To create a lease, please follow the steps below. 

  1. To create a lease for your property, you will need to log into your Zillow Rental Manager account here.
  2. Visit the Leases tab for your property, and follow the prompts to create a lease on Zillow or upload a pre-existing lease for e-Signing.
  3. Share info about who will be covered by your lease in the Parties to the lease section. You can add information on the landlord, co-landlord, any managing agents for the rental home, up to 8 tenants, and any additional occupants who aren’t paying tenants.
  4. The next section covers Property and amenity information. In this section, you can enter information on the rental home, the HOA or condo association, appliances, and utilities and services.
  5. Next, enter information on the Terms and payment. In this section, you can enter all the details about your rent - lease terms and dates, rent details, additional fees, and manner of payment. 
  6. In the Rights and obligations section, include details on renters insurance, easements and covenants, and additional rules. If you need to include a custom rule for something that is not covered in our lease builder, you can do so by writing your own rule. 
  7. The last section is Additional details, where you can add information on topics such as smoking, pet, and parking policies. 
  8. Next, you can preview the full lease. Once the lease is ready to be signed, click Request signatures. 

That’s it! After you take the steps above, we will email your tenants with a link to sign the lease. After all tenants have signed, we will email your co-landlord (if you have included one in the lease) with a link to sign. After everybody else has signed, we will send you an email notification that the lease is ready to countersign. 

What happens if I need to make changes to the lease after my tenants have signed?

The lease agreement is not ratified until you, the landlord, have signed. At any step in the signing process, you can cancel signing. Once canceled, all signatures are removed, and the lease agreement can no longer be signed by your tenants. You can make updates and re-share with your tenants for electronic signing when you’re ready. 

If you need to make a change to the lease and all landlords and tenants have signed the lease, you can create an amendment or terminate the lease outside of our platform. Right now, amending or terminating leases is not supported on Zillow. Please contact an attorney in your jurisdiction if you have further questions regarding amending or terminating a lease agreement.

If you terminate the lease offline, you can create and re-sign a new lease within Zillow. The previous lease will still reflect as 'Active' until the original lease end date passes. At this time there is not a way to indicate that the lease has been terminated in your Zillow account. Please note that having one lease in your account that reflects as 'Active' will not prevent another lease from being uploaded and signed.


What if my renter(s) and I have already signed a paper copy?

Zillow's upload and e-sign feature is designed for leases not yet signed and completed. If your lease is already signed by all parties, you are all set! Just hold onto it for your records.


Troubleshooting common issues with signing the lease

  1. Unable to locate the lease to sign. If the renters or the co-landlord have trouble finding the email with the link to sign, please double-check that the email was entered correctly in the Lease signer section of the lease. If the email was entered correctly, they should check their spam and junk folders, as sometimes emails are caught in spam filters.
  2. Tenant or co-landlord is receiving an error message when attempting to sign. Each renter needs to be logged into their Zillow account that is linked to their email address entered on the lease in order to sign. 


What happens if my tenants want to request changes to the lease before they sign?

When you send the final lease to your tenants, they will have the option to review the lease agreement before they sign. You can still make changes to the lease agreement by canceling the signing, making the necessary modifications, and re-sharing the updated version with your tenants for electronic signing.


How will my tenants know when they need to sign the lease?

Once you share your lease with your tenants, they’ll receive an email prompting them to sign the lease. 

To sign, your renter will need to log into their Zillow account using the email that matches the one you entered on the lease. If they do not have a Zillow account they will need to create one using the email address that matches the one you entered on the lease. After they sign in to their account, they can click on the link in the email prompting them to sign the lease. Alternatively, they can go to their Leases Hub.

If your tenant does not have a Zillow account they will need to make a Zillow account in order to sign their lease.


When does my lease become legally binding?

Generally, a lease becomes binding when all parties, including all landlords, tenants and guarantors, have signed the lease agreement.


Is it binding to sign my lease online?

Yes. Electronic signatures are legal and binding for nearly every business and transaction. The electronic signatures in the Zillow Lease comply with the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (ESIGN) Act and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) in the United States.

 

Related articles