How to sign a lease agreement online
Most residential leases in the U.S. can be signed electronically, and doing it online saves a trip, a printer, and a week of back-and-forth. Here's how landlords and tenants can get a lease signed online and end up with a copy that holds up if anyone ever questions it.
Can a lease be signed electronically?
Generally, yes. The federal ESIGN Act and the UETA, adopted by nearly every state, give electronic signatures the same legal effect as ink signatures for most contracts, including leases. A few situations can have special rules — for example, some states require certain notices to be delivered on paper, and some documents tied to real estate transfers (like deeds that must be recorded or notarized) follow different requirements. When in doubt, check your state's rules or ask a local attorney.
What a good e-signed lease needs
- Consent from each signer to sign electronically.
- A record of who signed and when — names, emails, timestamps, and ideally IP addresses.
- A final copy that can't be quietly edited after signing.
- A copy for every party, delivered when signing is complete.
Step by step: sign a lease online
- Finalize the lease as a PDF. Make sure rent, dates, deposit, and any addenda are correct before anyone signs.
- Upload it to RootSign. No account needed.
- Add every adult on the lease as a signer — tenants, co-signers, and the landlord or property manager (up to 7 people).
- Place the fields. Add signature and date fields on the signature page and initials on each page or clause that needs them.
- Pay $1 and send. Each signer gets a private link by email, agrees to sign electronically, and signs on any phone or computer — free, with no account.
- Everyone gets the signed lease. When the last person signs, all parties receive the sealed PDF with a Certificate of Completion showing who signed and when.
Getting a lease signed? Upload a PDF, place the fields, and send it for signature — $1 per document, no account, no subscription. Signers sign free.
Send a PDF for Signature →Tips for landlords
- Use initials on key clauses (pets, smoking, late fees) so there's no later dispute about whether a tenant saw them.
- Save the signed PDF in your records right away. RootSign deletes documents from its servers once they're delivered, so the emailed copy is the record.
- Send one lease per unit. Each document is $1 no matter how many tenants sign it, up to 7.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to sign a lease online?
In most U.S. states, yes: the ESIGN Act and UETA give electronic signatures the same effect as ink signatures for most contracts, including residential leases. Some notices or real estate transfer documents can have special rules.
Do tenants need an account to sign?
Not with RootSign. Tenants open a private link from their email and sign for free.
How much does it cost?
$1 per lease sent through RootSign, regardless of how many people sign (up to 7).