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Is anyone using rental contracts? If so, how do you send and receive the contracts? PDF with signature? The renter scans the document, signs it, scans it and returns it? What is important to you to have in a contract? I signed a multi page contract last year for a place we rented in Key West. I had to print, sign and return to the owner. It was an easy process for me but I have access to printers, scanners and computers.
For my rental, I don’t currently have a contract but would like to consider one to make sure the renter acknowledges certain things like maximum occupancy, no parties, etc.
I’ve used DocuSign. I’ve heard others have used HelloSign or SignNow. OwnerReservations has an e-signed contract option.
Every contract will be different based on your property, your location, and your rules. I keep mine short (two pages with an additional page of House Rules) with just the important stuff.
I was going to say, but @PitonView got in there first , that the best thing to do is use an online service such as docusign.
People even use such services to sign when they are closing on property purchases so it’s totally legit.
I do think it’s overkill though for STR. If your rental periods are within your jurisdiction’s required timeframe, then you’ve no need for extra protection.
You may lose custom if you are expecting all guests to sign a contract. If you (or your co-host) are looking after the property then I don’t understand why an extra contract would be needed?
As I have mentioned before, I use one that I found on this forum. It sounds quite official but I am under no illusion that it would hold up in court. What it does do is discourage nere-do-wells, and it does that quite well. It also enables me to collect names and ages of guests, as the fire department has advised us to keep a list in case of an emergency. This also helps me prepare for sleeping arrangements if additional bedding is needed, or something for the elderly, or to spiff up the playroom for the toddlers. The document also asks for contact information and a driver’s license number. I’ve never had anyone object.
@momovich brings up a good point. One huge benefit of contracts is that they can weed out the unsuitable. I’ve had several guests cancel when they read in the contract that we’ll kick them out for smoking anywhere except the smoking pad (they get a warning first). Our contract also scares off the ones that one to bring more people with penalties for exceeding stated occupancy.
I’ve basically copied and pasted the contract into the AirBnB House Rules, but no one reads the House Rules. Making them sign a contract makes it harder to simply ignore the rules or plead ignorance.
One thing I like about DocuSign is that it tells you when the recipient opens the contract to read it, even if they don’t go on to sign it.
We use Adobe Sign. I like it for its other features for pdfs, putting together leases, etc. We don’t do contracts for STR, we only do them for stays that are 28+ days.
, that the best thing to do is use an online service such as docusign.