How to e-sign a lease agreement (guide for landlords and tenants)

A lease agreement is probably the single most consequential document most people sign outside of a mortgage. It sets out rent, deposit, term, and the conditions under which either party can walk away. Getting it signed electronically isn't just convenient — when it's done through a platform that produces an audit trail, it's actually better evidenced than a signature on paper.

Is an electronically signed lease legally binding?

In most cases, yes. In the UK, the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and Electronic Signatures Regulations 2002 give electronic signatures the same legal standing as handwritten ones for most contracts, including residential tenancy agreements. There are no specific requirements that a lease must be signed on paper unless it's an assured shorthold tenancy for more than three years (which requires a deed — but standard fixed-term leases under three years don't). In the US, the ESIGN Act and UETA cover lease agreements explicitly.

What landlords need to do

Prepare the lease agreement as a PDF. This can be from a template, a solicitor-drafted document, or a standard form. Upload it to an e-signature platform, add signature fields for all tenants and any guarantors, add a field for yourself, and set the signing order if needed (typically tenants sign first, then landlord countersigns). Send the signing request and wait for completions.

• Upload the lease PDF to InkRobin
• Add signature, initial, and date fields for each signer
• Enter each signer's email address
• Set reminders for unsigned documents
• Download the fully signed lease once all parties complete
• Store the signed copy with the Certificate of Completion attached

What tenants need to do

Tenants don't need an account on the e-signature platform. They receive an email with a unique signing link. They click the link, review the lease in their browser, and sign. They then receive a copy of the fully signed lease by email once all parties have completed. The whole process takes a few minutes and can be done on a phone.

Why the audit trail matters for rental disputes

Rental disputes — deposit deductions, lease termination, rent arrears — often come down to what was agreed, when, and by whom. An e-signed lease with an audit trail answers all of these. The record shows the exact email address of each signer, the timestamp of each signature, and the document hash proving the lease hasn't been altered since signing. A scanned paper lease gives you a signature but no timestamp, no attribution record, and no proof the document is unchanged.

Documents to sign alongside the lease

A full tenancy signing typically involves more than just the lease itself. The following are often signed at the same time:

• Standing order mandate for rent payments
• Inventory report (with landlord and tenant signatures)
• How to Rent guide acknowledgement (England — required by law)
• Guarantor agreement (if applicable)
• Pet or parking addenda

Each of these can be sent as a separate document in the same signing workflow or combined into a single envelope. Getting everything signed in one session removes the back-and-forth that traditionally delays tenancy starts.

Frequently asked questions

• Do tenants need to create an account to sign a lease? No — they receive a unique link and sign in their browser without creating an account.
• Can a guarantor sign electronically? Yes — add their email address as an additional signer on the document.
• Is a PDF lease signed electronically valid for a deposit protection scheme? Yes — UK deposit protection schemes (TDS, MyDeposits, DPS) accept electronically signed tenancy agreements.