What disclosures do landlords have to give tenants?
Quick answer
It depends on where you rent, but every landlord shares some. Federal law requires a lead-based paint disclosure for most homes built before 1978. Beyond that, states set their own list, which can cover deposits, mold, flooding, and known hazards. Give required disclosures in writing before or at lease signing, and keep a signed copy.
The one federal disclosure almost every landlord owes
Federal law requires a lead-based paint disclosure for most housing built before 1978. You give tenants an approved information pamphlet, disclose any known lead hazards, and include the required language in the lease. This one applies nationwide, so it belongs in every older rental's paperwork.
Skipping it is a rare place where a single missing form carries real federal exposure. Build it into your standard lease packet so it is never an afterthought.
State disclosures are where the real variety lives
Beyond lead paint, most disclosure requirements come from state and local law, and they differ a lot. Depending on where your property sits, you may need to disclose items such as these.
- How and where the security deposit is held, and how it will be returned.
- Known issues like mold, bed bugs, flooding history, or other material defects.
- Who owns or manages the property and where official notices should be sent.
- Utility arrangements, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and any rent regulation notices.
Because these vary so widely, do not rely on a generic list. Read the state guides at /laws/ for your location and confirm the current requirements with your own attorney.
Deliver disclosures so they actually count
- Bundle every required disclosure into the lease packet rather than mentioning them verbally.
- Give them in writing before or at signing so the tenant has time to read.
- Collect a signature or written acknowledgment on each disclosure you provide.
- Keep the signed copies for the length of the tenancy and beyond.
- Re-disclose when something changes, such as new knowledge of a hazard or a new owner.
Good delivery is as important as the content. A required disclosure that you cannot prove you gave is almost as risky as one you skipped.
How Rentari helps
Rentari makes disclosures part of the lease, not a loose stack of forms. Attach every required document and send the whole packet for signature with E-Sign and Leases, which records a court-ready audit trail showing exactly what the tenant received and signed. Pull the disclosure forms and notices you need from the Landlord Forms library.
Before a lease goes out, run it through AI Lease Audit to catch missing disclosures and risky clauses. That gives you a second read on the paperwork so a required notice does not slip through.
Related questions
Do I have to give disclosures for a month-to-month tenancy?
Where should disclosures go, in the lease or a separate form?
What happens if I forget a required disclosure?
This article is general information for landlords, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules vary by state and city; verify specifics with the official statute or a licensed professional. See our state law guides.