What to Include in Your Lease Amendment

If you need to request a change to a personal or business lease, you will need to present your amendment to the landlord for approval. However, how do you know what language to include in your lease amendment to ensure professionalism and legality? First, it may be beneficial for you to download a lease amendment template from an attorney’s website. For a small, one-time fee, many attorneys provide access to legal documents they’ve even used themselves! Additionally, you can also find some websites that offer free lease amendments online; but be sure to research your source before downloading. Overall, when it comes to lease amendments, the more specific the better. Therefore, you may want to find a lease amendment template online that is specific to your request. For example, the necessary language for a change in rent may be different from that for the addition of a pet. Regardless of the template you use, you should always include the following information in your amendment proposal: -Date of the proposalrn-Background information The background information of your amendment should include the date you entered into the original lease, the address of the premises, the landlord’s name, and the tenant’s name. Additionally, the amendment should state how many official, legal changes the lease has had to date. Agreement information If your landlord has already agreed to the lease change, the background information should state this. Otherwise, it may note that the proposed amendments will not go into effect unless the landlord and tenant reach an agreement on its terms. Description of the amendment In this section, provide a description of exactly what you’re asking for. Also, remember that details are your friend! For example, if you’re requesting a lease amendment to accommodate a family pet, be sure to include the type of pet, its size, and perhaps even its temperament (some landlords will ban dogs that other tenants can hear barking). Failing to include these important details could result in a denied request or potential conflicts with your landlord in the future. Finally, note that you may need to revise this section according to your landlord’s negotiations. Acknowledgement of original lease The amendment document should state that all other terms outlined in the original lease still stand. Signatures Once the landlord and tenant have come to an agreement regarding instituting the lease amendments, both parties must sign and date the document and attach it to the original lease. Additionally, at least one witness should also sign and date. Finally, remember that no lease amendment is official until both parties have agreed to the new terms and signed a document acknowledging this agreement. Unfortunately, if your landlord does not agree to the terms you’ve outlined in your amendment, the document is not legally viable. Check out my FREE legal templates here: rnhttps://www.iancorzine.com/legal-templates