Leases and Rental Agreements » (Book & CD-ROM)

Marcia Stewart has been a Nolo editor and author since 1989, writing and editing books on landlord-tenant law, real estate, and other consumer issues. In addition to working on books and software, Stewart is an acquisitions editor and responsible for acquiring and developing new products for Nolo, including trade books and books with special sales and licensing potential. She is the co-author of Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home, Every Landlord's Legal Guide, Every Tenant's Legal Guide, Leases and Rental Agreements, and Renters' Rights. She has edited dozens of Nolo books, including How to Buy a House in California, Nolo's LeaseWriter Plus software for landlords, and Parent Savvy.

Ralph "Jake" Warner, after a brief hiatus from day-to-day management, is back in the driver's seat at Nolo. Widely recognized as a pioneer of the do-it-yourself law movement, Warner founded Nolo with Ed Sherman in 1972. He began publishing do-it-yourself law books written by him and his colleagues after numerous publishers rejected them. When personal computers came along, he added software to many Nolo books. When the Internet arrived, he pioneered online marketing of books.
In addition to running the company for much of the past three decades, Warner was an active editor and author. He wrote many books, including Get a Life: You Don't Need a Million to Retire Well and How to Run a Thriving Business. Today, he serves as chief executive officer as well as chairman of Nolo's board of directors. During a three-year break earlier this decade, Warner embarked on a new business venture: TallTales Audio, an audio book production company devoted to children's storytelling,online and on CD.
Warner holds a law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley and an undergraduate degree from Princeton.

As Nolo's managing editor, Janet Portman oversees editorial work on all Nolo books. She specializes in residential and commercial landlord/tenant law, legal issues related to courts, landlords and tenants, and neighbor disputes. She is the author or co-author of Every Landlord's Legal Guide, Every Landlord's Guide to Finding Great Tenants, Every Tenant's Legal Guide, Renters' Rights, Negotiate the Best Lease for Your Business, Leases & Rental Agreements, LeaseWriter Plus (software), The California Landlord's Law Book: Rights and Responsibilities, and California Tenants' Rights. A nationally syndicated columnist with Inman News, Portman's column, "Rent It Right," appears regularly in the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and other prominent newspapers and websites. Portman received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University and a law degree from Santa Clara University. Before joining Nolo in 1994, she practiced law as a public defender.

Rent your property now with this quick and easy handbook.

Looking for a quick way to create the key documents necessary for owning or managing rental property, including a legally valid lease or rental agreement? Leases & Rental Agreements provides the practical and legal information necessary to rent out your property in record time -- and without a pricey attorney.

Leases & Rental Agreements includes tear-out forms (plus step-by-step instructions to fill them out), including a rental agreement, lease, rental application and more. Complete these forms by adding the needed information by hand or by using a typewriter, or fill in the documents on your PC using the enclosed CD-ROM. The 8th edition provides updated 50-state legal charts on security deposits, rent rules, access to rental property and more, plus an expanded chart on your state's disclosure laws.

Robert Bruss

On my scale of one to 10, this excellent book rates a solid 10.

1. Being a Successful Landlord
2. Preparing a Lease or Rental Agreement
3. Choosing Tenants: Your Most Important Decision
4. Getting the Tenant Moved In
5. Changing or Ending a Tenancy
Appendix 1. State Landlord-Tenant Law Charts
Appendix 2. Tear-Out Forms