Delaware Residential Lease Agreement | PDF
A Delaware residential lease agreement is a legally binding rental contract that allows a tenant and landlord to negotiate the terms and conditions of the residential tenancy. Both parties should agree on the rental price and who will pay for the utilities (electricity, water, heat, etc) before the lease is signed. It is also recommended that the landlord obtain a completed credit application from the tenant to ensure they are qualified to pay the rent every month. Once the contract is authorized by both parties, the document is legal and both parties will be bound by its terms until the end of the term (typically one (1) year).
Table of Contents
Forms (3)
Standard Delaware Lease Agreement – Version 1
Standard Delaware Lease Agreement – Version 2
Download: Adobe PDF
Delaware Assoc. of Realtors Lease Agreement
Download: Adobe PDF
Security Deposit Laws
Maximum Amount ($) – One (1) month’s rent if the tenancy is one (1) year or more; no limit for dwellings that come furnished (§ 5514(a)).
Returning – The landlord shall return the security deposit to the tenant within twenty (20) days of termination of the tenancy (§ 5514(e)).
Required Disclosures
Landlord-Tenant Code – The landlord must furnish this compilation of statutes to a tenant at the beginning of a residential tenancy (§ 5118).
Lead-Based Paint – Tenants must be provided this disclosure form if the property they are renting was constructed prior to the 1st of January, 1978.
Rent Grace Period
A fee for late payment of rent cannot be charged until five (5) days have passed after the payment date; however, if the landlord does not have an office located in the county in which the rental property is located, the tenant is given eight (8) days grace period to pay rent after the payment date (§ 5501 (d)).