New York Residential Lease Agreement (2026)

Q: How much security deposit can a landlord charge in New York?

New York caps the security deposit at 1 month' rent (N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(a)); any pet deposit and last month's rent paid in advance count toward the cap. The generator warns you if you enter more.

Q: When must the deposit be returned in New York?

Within 14 days after the tenant moves out, with an itemized statement of deductions (N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(e)).

Q: Does this lease include the disclosures New York requires?

Yes. The Disclosures section asks you the yes/no questions each New York statute requires (for example flood zone, sprinklers, mold or bed bugs) and prints the actual statutory statement — in bold or larger type where the law demands it — with its citation, plus the federal lead-paint notice for pre-1978 buildings. Forms that must be separate documents are listed as attachments.

Q: Is this lease legally binding once signed?

A written lease signed by landlord and all adult tenants is an enforceable contract in New York. Electronic signatures are valid under the federal ESIGN Act and the state UETA. No notarization is required for a residential lease.

Q: Can I use this for a month-to-month rental?

Yes — choose 'Month-to-month' in the Term step. The tenant's notice period is set to New York's statutory minimum, and the lease states that the landlord may end the tenancy only for a cause permitted by N.Y. Real Prop. Law Article 6-A.

A complete, state-specific lease for a house, apartment or condo with every disclosure your state requires.

Updated September 2026≈ 12 minReviewed against N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108 · N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-103 · N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 238-a

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What you'll get

Sample first page of the Residential Lease Agreement. Your answers fill in the blanks; the clauses required in New York are added automatically.

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What this document covers

Parties, occupants and joint liability
Premises, furnishings and parking
Fixed or month-to-month term and holdover
Rent, due date, payment methods and late fees
Security deposit cap, holding and return deadline
Who pays which utilities
Maintenance, repairs and landlord entry notice
Pets, smoking, subletting and renter's insurance
Early termination and move-out
State disclosures and federal lead-paint notice

New York rules that this document follows

Security deposit limit	one month's rentSource: N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(a)
Deposit return deadline	14 days after move-outSource: N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(e)
Interest on deposit	Required (buildings with 6+ units)Source: N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-103(2-a) (buildings with 6+ units; landlord may retain 1% admin fee)
Late fees	Lesser of $50 or 5% of the monthly rentSource: N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 238-a(2)
Landlord entry notice	No statutory minimum (lease governs; reasonable notice)Source: N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-a (reasonable notice; no statutory hours; 24 hours customary)
Notice to end month-to-month	Landlord 30/60/90 days by length of tenancy / Tenant 30 daysSource: N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c (landlord: 30 days if tenancy < 1 yr, 60 days if 1–2 yrs, 90 days if 2+ yrs); § 232-b (tenant, outside NYC)
Just cause to end tenancy	Required for covered unitsSource: N.Y. Real Prop. Law Article 6-A
Rent increase rules	Rent-stabilized units: annual Rent Guidelines Board rates; Good Cause Eviction covered units: presumptive cap of CPI + 5% or 10%, whichever lower; notice of 30/60/90 days for increases of 5% or moreSource: N.Y. Real Prop. Law §§ 216, 226-c, 231-c; Emergency Tenant Protection Act
Required disclosures	Lead-Based Paint Disclosure (pre-1978 housing); Sprinkler System Disclosure; Flood History and Risk Disclosure; Good Cause Eviction Law Notice; NYC Bedbug Disclosure (DHCR form); NYC Window Guard Notice; NYC Indoor Allergen Hazards Notice; NYC Smoke/CO Detector and Stove Knob Notices; NYC Smoking Policy Disclosure; Rent Stabilization Lease RiderSource: New York Real Property Law Article 7 (§§ 220–238); General Obligations Law §§ 7-103 to 7-109; Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019

Rules current as of 2026-10-27. Statutes change; verify before relying on them.

How to use this Residential Lease Agreement in New York

A residential lease in New York should identify every adult tenant, describe the premises, state the term, the rent and how it is paid, the security deposit and how it will be returned, who pays which utilities, the rules on pets, smoking and subletting, and the disclosures New York law requires. This generator walks you through each of those items in order, checks the deposit and late fee against New York's statutory caps, and drafts the clauses for you.

Before you start, gather: the legal names and mailing addresses of the landlord and all tenants, the property address and the number of units in the building, the move-in date, the rent amount and due day, the deposit amount and the bank where it will be held (some states require this), whether the building was built before 1978 (federal lead-paint rule), and the answers to your state's disclosure questions (for example whether the property is in a FEMA flood zone — check msc.fema.gov).

After you preview the document, download the PDF, have every adult tenant and the landlord sign (electronic signatures are valid), give each party a copy together with every attachment listed at the end of the lease, and complete a move-in inspection checklist with photos. Keep the signed lease for at least four years after the tenancy ends.

Frequently asked questions

How much security deposit can a landlord charge in New York?

New York caps the security deposit at 1 month' rent (N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(a)); any pet deposit and last month's rent paid in advance count toward the cap. The generator warns you if you enter more.

When must the deposit be returned in New York?

Within 14 days after the tenant moves out, with an itemized statement of deductions (N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(e)).

Does this lease include the disclosures New York requires?

Yes. The Disclosures section asks you the yes/no questions each New York statute requires (for example flood zone, sprinklers, mold or bed bugs) and prints the actual statutory statement — in bold or larger type where the law demands it — with its citation, plus the federal lead-paint notice for pre-1978 buildings. Forms that must be separate documents are listed as attachments.

Is this lease legally binding once signed?

A written lease signed by landlord and all adult tenants is an enforceable contract in New York. Electronic signatures are valid under the federal ESIGN Act and the state UETA. No notarization is required for a residential lease.

Can I use this for a month-to-month rental?

Yes — choose 'Month-to-month' in the Term step. The tenant's notice period is set to New York's statutory minimum, and the lease states that the landlord may end the tenancy only for a cause permitted by N.Y. Real Prop. Law Article 6-A.

Other names

rental agreement
residential tenancy agreement
apartment lease
house rental contract
tenancy agreement
lease contract
rental contract

Other states

FormsByState provides self-help document templates and general information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm. For advice about your situation consult a licensed attorney in your state.