Here at Landlord Forms we offer one of the most comprehensive yet simple to complete lease agreements you can find.
It offers everything you can ever need when it comes to creating a lease agreement. That’s our objective – to have you filling in the lease agreement and then being able to print it immediately, without having to do anything else.
However while a lease agreement is our top priority and most popular form here at Landlord Forms, there are many other forms related to the lease agreement that we offer.
There’s the Lease Agreement Extension for example – a simple document if you need to extend a lease. Then a Lease Addendum Agreement if there is anything needing added to the original lease agreement. No need to create a whole new lease as you can just make an addendum.
Another one we offer is this document – the Co-Signer Lease Agreement.
Sometimes you need someone to co-sign a lease agreement, or your tenant needs someone to co-sign a lease agreement, and we offer up a form that will give you the ability to do that with complete ease.
The whole business of finding someone to co-sign a lease etc can be complicated and a hassle but don’t worry – the process via our website is anything BUT a hassle. It’s extremely easy to do and we’ll outline the process:
How To Write A Co-Signer Lease Agreement
What our system does is we have a Co-Signer Lease Agreement blank template essentially. We ask you a few questions to fill it up and then we create a customized co-signer lease agreement just for you.
The first thing we ask is the personal details. This is the co-signer information, the tenant information and then the premises information.
We ask for the name and address of the co-signer, as well as the name and address of the tenant, and then finally the location of the property that the lease agreement is in reference to.
Then there is just a couple of details required to completely customize it. We need the landlords name, and then the signature date of the lease agreement in question that the person is co-signing.
That’s it! That’s all that is needed from you!
Our system then takes those details, and completes a co-sign agreement for you with all of the details you filled in, and everything that is required for a complete co-sign agreement.
Using a sample co-sign agreement, here’s how it is structured:
- It opens by stating the date that the agreement is entered into.
- It states that it is by and between the co-signer, and the tenant with their names and address
- It states that the co-signer is taking full responsibility for the terms and conditions of the lease agreement, and refers to the specific lease agreement that you mentioned in the Q&A phase of this
- The co-sign agreement next states that they are responsible and that if the tenant fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the quoted lease agreement, the owner has the right to terminate their occupancy, as well as other resolutions.
- Next is the Guarantee that is made by the co-signer in regard to the fact that they are responsible for the terms and agreements within the lease, and that if the tenant breaks them, they are responsible.
- A section stating that any amendment or modification of this document must be agreed upon in writing by both parties.
- A section in regard to the lease and that if the lease agreement is modified in any way or added to, the co-signer extends their faith to any changes or renewal or extension.
- Then there are standard sections found in most agreements in regard to the binding effect, breach, governing law, headings and interpretations
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That’s mainly it. Then at the bottom of the document is a section where both the co-signer and the tenant must sign to make the co-sign agreement legitimate.
Am I Required A Separate Co-Signer Agreement?
It is highly recommended that yes – you use a separate co-signer agreement for a lease, rather than attempting to cram it into the original lease agreement.
Some states may actually require it and we can’t imagine attempting to combine both documents honestly. I mean a lease agreement is very complicated and large and then you’d have to state which parts apply to the co-signer and which parts don’t.
So while you may think it is “easier” to combine a lease agreement with a lease co-sign agreement; that really isn’t the case and we wouldn’t advise it.
Is This A Co-Signer Residential Agreement?
This is a catch-all co-sign lease agreement. It’s for both residential AND commercial. So if you are looking for a lease co-signer agreement for a residential property OR a commercial property – this document has you covered both times.
California Co-Signer Lease Agreement:
If you’re looking for a particular state co-signer lease agreement then don’t worry – our document is set up for all states.
In saying that you should always be aware of the rules and regulations and bylaws in regard to the city that you live in as well as the state, just to make sure that everything is covered.
However our co-signer lease agreement isn’t state specific; we ask you what state you are in and then we set the document up automatically based on that.
Does this Co-Signer Lease Agreement Work for a Car Lease?
No. Theoretically you could still create the document, then download it in the editable formats of RTF or DOC and then edit it there and customize it to a car lease. But this is set up for properties only.
Printable Co-Signer Lease Agreement:
Our co-signer lease agreement will be stored in the cloud for you, but is also both downloadable and printable.
Upon completion, it is available in multiple formats. The most common format is PDF however it is also available in RTF and DOC format. The latter two can be used in word processing software such as Microsoft Word to make edits.
Finally it is available in HTML format as are all the forms on the site. This means if you need to, you can print it via a web browser from anywhere. So if you are on your tablet or in the library – you’ll be able to print it out with ease.
How do I Know I Need A Co-Signer?
You generally will need a co-signer if there is questions over your finances, or your ability to pay.
It’s common for teenagers for example or young adults moving out of their home for the first time, to get a parent to co-sign. It will make landlords more comfortable renting to them knowing that theoretically a responsible adult is taking responsibility for them. As at that age, financial management isn’t always at its best! Of course in saying that many states will rule it illegal for a landlord to discriminate based on age.
If someone asks you to co-sign on a lease agreement, please understand that this is a massive undertaking. You are stating that you are responsible for the tenant, and will be penalized if the tenant messes up. If the tenant doesn’t pay rent it’s on you. If the tenant damages the property, it’s on you.
Don’t take co-signing a lease lightly. And don’t be afraid to say no.
Also please note depending on the state, a landlord may require a co-signer or guarantor however they won’t be able to request it for reasons that violate the human rights code, or are discriminatory in any way. However this may differ from state to state.
If you’re looking to rent a property but are unable to attain a co-signer, you essentially need to convince the landlord that you don’t need a co-signer.
Landlords can also request certain documents from you and you can provide them. Of course, this depends on the city and state. But in many cases, you can provide a bank statement that will prove that you have the money to cover rent for the next couple of months, or that you regularly receive a salary, or that you haven’t had any bounced checks.
A letter from your employer stating how much you earn annually can also help in regard to convincing a landlord that you don’t need a co-signer.
References can be good as well – the landlord can then contact these people to see how they feel about you. If you have rented before and paid on time, a reference from a former landlord should be enough to convince them.
You may also be able to negotiate with the landlord – a larger security deposit for example. Or if the landlord doesn’t require first and last months rent you could always offer that up essentially as collateral.
If you are unemployed or have a bad credit history, this is where unfortunately you will most likely have to rely on a co-signer. Just make sure if you are getting a co-signer you understand you are putting a lot of pressure on them as they are taking the financial responsibility for you.