Many rental agreements differ from each other, depending on the clauses, or provisions, that the landlord includes. You can easily add a no-pets clause, a provision that enforces late fees on rent, a clause that specifies what form of rent you will accept or any other rental-related clause, as long as it is legal under state and federal tenancy laws.
Review your rental agreement to make sure it contains a rental provision. Most rental agreements feature a standard amendment provision that allows the written addition or removal of a clause if both parties agree and sign the document after the landlord makes the revision, unless a change in state or federal law requires the change.
Ensure that the clause you plan to add to the rental agreement is legal. For example, you cannot add a clause that forces a tenant to live in your rental "as is," or put the burden of repairs and upkeep on the tenant. Additionally, you cannot include a clause that renders a tenant's security deposit "non-refundable" and you cannot add a provision that allows you to enter the premises at any time, for any reason. There are a host of other illegal clauses, so do your research before taking any other steps.
Contact your tenant and ascertain if he is amenable to the clause you'd like to add. Try to word your request in an affable way in order to get his support. If you are legally obligated to add the clause, your tenant's compliance is unnecessary.
Write out your amendment form, including your name, your tenant's name, the property's address, the date and the clause that you wish to add. Add spaces for both parties to sign and date. You can also download and print free online lease amendment forms. LawDepot.com and AllLaw.com offer easy-to-use templates.
References
Writer Bio
Kate Savage is a writer and editor with more than eight years experience writing and editing professionally. She holds a master's degree in writing and editing as well as a bachelor's degree in English literature. Her writing has been featured on a number of websites, including eHow, GlobalPost, and SFGate.com. She lives in Portland, Ore.