Does a Lease Agreement need to be notarized?
When you rent a property for the first time, it is legally required to get a lease agreement. A lease agreement protects tenants in an unforeseeable event. With notarization, a lease becomes official. You need a notary public to verify identity and witness signature to mark the seal on the lease.
Does a Lease Agreement need to be notarized?
Whether or not you have to notarize a lease comes down to the period of the lease. So, does a lease need to be notarized? When you rent an apartment or house – you sign a lease, and the next is to notarize the document to make it legal.
But not every lease agreement has to be notarized. For instance, Washington State recognizes one year or less residential and non-residential leases. The idea is to make the legal process more flexible for landlords and make long-term leases highly accessible for renters.
When should you notarize Lease Agreements?
If the lease term is over a year, it needs to be notarized. On the other hand, if the lease term is less than a year, the lease may not have to be notarized. Still, most leases are over a year and go through the notarization process to ensure legal recognition.
Lease notarized
Remember, notarizing a lease does not question its authenticity or make it void – it simply recognizes it. So, if you’re dealing with a short-term lease that is less than a year, there is no need to notarize it. However, understand that each state has its own jurisdiction rules.
Also, lease agreements don’t have a fixed date to end and work on a month-to-month basis. And these leases act as temporary contracts. However, if your state specifically mandates the notarization of all contracts, then you will have to notarize the short-term lease agreement.
If you’re wondering whether or not a rental agreement has to be recorded, the answer is no. And that’s because verbal agreements are valid for monthly rentals. And when a commercial or residential lease is more than a year, it requires notarization to keep the legal record.
In some states, notarization comes into play “only” when a lease is over three years long. Remember, a long-term or extended lease is longer a contract – it becomes a legally binding transfer of an interest in a property.
What should be included in a Lease Agreement?
First, make sure your lease agreement is in writing and should contain the relevant terms. For starters, add tenant names and the rent amount to be paid to the landlord. You should also add starting and ending dates in your lease agreement.
You should also mention the amount of the security deposit and any other paid fees to rent the property. And add conditions for repairs and maintenance in a lease agreement.
Similarly, highlight the rights of the landlord to enter the property. On the flip side, make sure to add tenant resections within the lease to avoid confusion later on.
Where can you notarize a Lease Agreement?
If you want to notarize your lease agreement, opt for a remote online notarization platform like PandaDoc Notary. You need to schedule an appointment with an online notary agent to start your notarization process.
How to notarize a Lease Agreement?
Whether you need to notarize a lease agreement or a different contract, PandaDoc Notary has got you covered. Notarizing a lease agreement on PandaDoc Notary is a fairly simple process:
1. Create a PandaDoc Notary account and then sign in to your account
2. Choose the document you want to notarize online
3. Upload the original lease agreement or other type of document you want to notarize
4. Add your contact information, including your email address
5. Click on the received email link
Once you complete these simple steps, you can get connected to an online notary agent.
Final thoughts
In hindsight, notarizing a lease validates the legal document and confirms the parties’ identities and that they mutually signed the agreement.
Why PandaDoc Notary?
With PandaDoc Notary, remote online notarization has become easier and simpler. On PandaDoc Notary, you can validate various documents like rental and lease agreements without having to depend on the traditional notarization process.
PandaDoc Notary offers integrated featured services and guarantees a swift notarization process on the platform. Plus, finding an online notary agent on the platform takes no time.
Notarize your lease agreement via PandaDoc Notary today!
FAQs
Do a notarized rent agreement valid before the court?
A lease agreement ensures the rights and responsibilities of the involved parties. If and when a matter heads to court, no one can dispute a notarized lease agreement. But in complex legal proceedings, notarized lease agreements are not admissible and don’t validate traditional rental transactions.
How many days does it take to notarize the lease agreement?
On average, getting a lease agreement notarized depends on the service you opt for. Ideally, you can draft and upload the documents, execute the agreement, and notarize it within the same day. But if a lease agreement is long and involves multiple parties, it can take 2-3 days.
Is a notary required for rent agreements?
A notary verifies the furnished document and confirms the identities of the involved parties. Depending on the state, if the lease agreement is a year or less, the tenant is not legally required to notarize the agreement.