Lease Signing by Text

Send a lease by text. They sign on their phone.

No app. No PDF email. No DocuSign account. Tenants tap the link, read the lease, and sign with a finger. Legally binding in all 50 states.

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How SMS lease signing works

  1. Upload your lease (or pick a state-aware template) and drop signature fields where you want them.
  2. Add each signer's phone number — tenant, roommate, co-signer, guarantor.
  3. Hit send. Each signer gets an SMS with a link.
  4. They tap, read, scroll to the bottom, and sign with their finger.
  5. You and they each get the fully executed PDF with the audit trail.

Why text beats email

~98% open rate

SMS gets read. Email goes to spam, promotions tabs, or "I'll deal with it later."

No app, no account

Tenants don't need DocuSign, Adobe Sign, or anything. Just their phone's browser.

Sign with a finger

Drawn signatures right on the touchscreen. Works on any iOS or Android.

Multi-signer support

Roommates, co-signers, guarantors — each signs in order.

Court-ready audit trail

Identity, timestamp, IP, and intent are captured for every signature.

Included in $9/mo

Unlimited e-signatures. No per-envelope or per-document fees.

Is it legally binding?

Yes. The federal E-SIGN Act (2000) and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) (adopted by 49 states) make electronic signatures legally equivalent to handwritten ones for residential leases. New York uses its own statute that reaches the same result. Rentlane captures the legally required elements — signer identity, intent, timestamp, IP, and a tamper-evident final PDF — so the signed lease is enforceable. Full legal requirements →

Frequently asked questions

Is signing a lease by text legally binding?

Yes. Electronic signatures on residential leases are legally binding in all 50 U.S. states under the federal E-SIGN Act and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), which 49 states have adopted. Rentlane's signing flow captures signer identity, timestamp, IP, and intent, which are the elements courts look for.

Do tenants need to download an app?

No. Tenants tap the SMS link, the lease opens in their phone's browser, they read it, and they sign with their finger. No app store, no account, no PDF email. Works on any iOS or Android phone.

How many signers does it support?

As many as you need. Two tenants, four roommates, a co-signer — each signer gets their own SMS and signs in order. The lease isn't fully executed until everyone has signed.

What about co-signers and guarantors?

Add them as additional signers on the lease. Each one gets their own SMS link and signs separately. The final executed PDF includes every signature with its timestamp.

Can I send my own lease template?

Yes — upload your PDF lease (or use one of our state-aware templates), drop signature fields onto it, and send. You keep full control of the document.

Is SMS lease signing free?

It's included in Rentlane at $9/mo with unlimited signatures — there's no per-document fee. Compare that to DocuSign at $25/mo with a 100-envelope annual cap on most plans.

What's the difference between SMS signing and emailing a PDF?

Emailing a PDF makes the tenant find a printer, sign, scan, and send it back. SMS signing puts the lease on their phone, lets them sign with a finger, and gives both of you a court-ready audit trail automatically.

Other Rentlane Tools

Everything below is part of the same $9/mo plan — built for small landlords who want one tool that just works.

Send your next lease in five minutes

Upload, drop signature fields, text, done. 14-day free trial. Unlimited signatures included in $9/mo.

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