Rent-to-own contract template: free in Word, or sign it online
Reviewed in October 2026
A rent-to-own contract is a lease with an option to buy the home before the lease ends. The tenant pays an option fee and rent, and part of the rent may count toward the price. The tenant can buy at the agreed price but does not have to.
Ten documents free, no card. Signed by the owner and the tenant-buyer.
Example filled in with sample data
The full Rent-to-own contract
LEASE WITH OPTION TO PURCHASE
This Lease with Option to Purchase (the "Agreement") is made on [date] between [Owner name] (the "Owner") and [Tenant-Buyer names] (the "Tenant-Buyer") for the home at [full address and legal description] (the "Property").
1. Lease term
The Owner leases the Property to the Tenant-Buyer from [start date] to [end date] (the "Option Period").
2. Rent
Rent is [amount] USD per month, due on the [1st]. A late fee of [amount] applies after the [5th], within the limits of law.
3. Option fee
The Tenant-Buyer pays a non-refundable option fee of [amount] on signing. If the Tenant-Buyer buys the Property, the option fee is credited toward the price.
4. Rent credit
[Amount] of each monthly rent paid on time is credited toward the purchase price. Rent credits are not refundable if the option is not exercised.
5. Purchase price
The purchase price is [amount] USD [Option: or the appraised value at the time of purchase, whichever is lower].
6. Exercising the option
The Tenant-Buyer may buy the Property by giving written notice before the end of the Option Period. Closing will take place within [60] days after notice, under a standard purchase agreement for the state.
7. Option ends
The option ends if not exercised in time, or if the Tenant-Buyer is more than [30] days late on rent and does not cure within [10] days after written notice.
8. Maintenance
The Tenant-Buyer handles routine maintenance and repairs up to [amount] per repair. The Owner handles major repairs to the roof, structure and main systems.
9. Taxes and insurance
The Owner pays property taxes and homeowner’s insurance. The Tenant-Buyer keeps renter’s insurance.
10. Owner’s duties
During the Option Period the Owner will keep the mortgage current, will not add new liens and will not sell the Property to anyone else.
11. Recording
[Option: The parties will record a memorandum of this option with the county recorder.]
12. General terms
This Agreement is governed by the laws of [state]. [If built before 1978, the lead-based paint disclosure is attached.] The parties agree to sign electronically, with the same effect as handwritten signatures.
OWNER
Signature: ______________________
Name: [full name]
Date: [date]
TENANT-BUYER
Signature: ______________________
Name: [full name]
Date: [date]
What the template includes
Lease term that matches the option period
Monthly rent and late fee
Non-refundable option fee credited at purchase
Rent credit toward the price
Fixed purchase price, with an appraisal option
How and when to exercise the option
When the option ends
Maintenance split for a future owner
Taxes, insurance and the owner’s duties
Optional recording of the option
What you fill in
Field
Example
Date
October 21, 2026
Owner
Raymond Bell
Tenant-buyer
Sofia and Andre Thompson
Property
58 Willow Ct, Greenville, SC 29601
Option period
November 1, 2026 to October 31, 2028
Rent
1,800 USD per month
Option fee
6,000 USD
Rent credit and price
200 USD per month, price 265,000 USD
How it gets signed
1Choose “Use this template”, fill in the fields and read the full Rent-to-own contract once more.
2Send it by WhatsApp or email. The other party opens the link on their phone without an account.
3They tap the brown bar at the bottom that says “Sign as …” and draw their signature with a finger.
4Everyone gets the signed PDF with its signature certificate. Anyone can check it at signsolu.com/verificar.
Before signing, each signer agrees to sign electronically. The screen links to the electronic signature disclosure the ESIGN Act asks for.
Your first ten documents are free and need no card.
Want your signature as an image for other files? Create your signature online and download it as a transparent PNG, free.
What the law says
Rent-to-own deals combine a lease and an option to buy. State landlord-tenant law covers the lease part, and state real estate law covers the sale. Some states add consumer rules for these deals, such as required disclosures or recording.
Recording a memorandum of the option warns future buyers and lenders. Clause 11 lets you choose it. The county recorder sets the format.
The EPA lead-based paint disclosure applies to homes built before 1978, for leases and sales alike. The ESIGN Act lets both sides sign electronically.
Lease-option or lease-purchase
This template is a lease-option. The tenant may buy but does not have to. A lease-purchase obliges the tenant to buy at the end, which carries more risk for the tenant.
How the money works
Payment
Example
If the tenant buys
If the tenant does not buy
Option fee
6,000 USD
Credited to the price
Kept by the owner
Rent credit
200 USD a month for 24 months
4,800 USD credited
Kept by the owner
Rest of the rent
1,600 USD a month
Not credited
Kept by the owner
In the example, the tenant brings 10,800 USD of credit to closing on a 265,000 USD price.
Protecting the tenant-buyer
Check the title for liens before paying the option fee.
Ask the owner to show the mortgage is current every few months.
Record the option with the county.
Get a home inspection before signing.
Talk to a lender early to know what you must improve to qualify.
Protecting the owner
Set a fair option fee that covers the time the home is off the market.
Screen the tenant-buyer as you would any tenant.
Keep the right to end the option if rent is late, as clause 7 says.
A worked example
Sofia and Andre rent a house for two years at 1,800 USD, with 200 USD credited each month. They pay a 6,000 USD option fee.
In month twenty they qualify for a mortgage and send written notice. They close within sixty days at 265,000 USD, with 10,000 USD of credits already earned and more by closing.
Mistakes that hurt both sides
No written price. An option without a price is hard to enforce.
Option fee too high. A fee the tenant cannot recover if they fail to qualify invites disputes.
Unpaid mortgage. If the owner stops paying, the home can be lost before the sale.
Unclear repairs. Clause 8 sets a dollar limit for the tenant’s share.
Planning for the mortgage
Most tenant-buyers choose rent to own while they build credit or savings. Meet a lender in the first months and ask what score and down payment you need.
Track your progress every quarter. Exercise the option only when the lender confirms you can close.
Signing the agreement
Both owners and every adult tenant-buyer should sign. Add each one as a signer. They sign from a phone, and all receive the same signed PDF with its certificate.
Keep the signed agreement with the title report, the inspection and the receipt for the option fee. You will need all four at closing.
What the tenant-buyer should check first
The owner’s name on the deed matches the contract.
Is a rent-to-own contract signed online legally binding?
Yes. The ESIGN Act gives an electronic signature the same legal effect as a handwritten one. The signed PDF and its certificate show who signed the rent-to-own contract, when and from which device.
Does the tenant-buyer need a SignSolú account to sign?
No. They open the link on their phone and sign with the brown bar at the bottom of the screen.
Can I download the rent-to-own contract in Word?
Yes. “Download in Word” gives you the full rent-to-own contract with no email and no account. You can print it or edit it and sign it here later.
Is the option fee refundable?
Not under this template. It is credited if the tenant buys and kept by the owner if not.
Can the price change during the option period?
Only if the contract says so. Clause 5 sets a fixed price, with an optional appraisal rule.
Who pays property taxes?
The owner, under clause 9, until the sale closes.
Can the tenant-buyer sell the option to someone else?
Only if the contract allows it. This template does not, so the owner would need to agree in writing.
