“The terms rental agreement and lease agreement are often used interchangeably, but they are quite different. Rental agreements offer more flexibility for landlords and tenants, while lease agreements offer more stability. Learn the key differences between these two types of living arrangements.

Basics of a Rental Agreement

A rental agreement is one type of contract a landlord can sign with a tenant. It is distinctly different from a lease agreement in a number of ways.

(1) Length: Rental agreements are typically short term. It is common for these agreements to be valid for a period of 30 days. In certain cases, they can be even shorter, lasting as little as a week.

(2) Automatic Renewal: Generally, rental agreements renew automatically once the original term expires. All the terms of the original agreement are still valid, including the length of the agreement. So, if the original term was for a period of 30 days, the agreement will automatically renew for another 30 days.

(3) Terms Altered: The landlord can change the terms of the rental agreement. It includes changing the length of the agreement or the rental price. To make any changes, however, the landlord must give the tenant proper notice.

(4) This written notice will vary based on state law but is normally 30 days; Some states may require as much as 60 days’ notice to make any changes. If any changes have been made, the tenant must sign and agree to the new rental agreement.

Basics of a Lease

A lease agreement is the arrangement most people associate with renting a property. It is typically a more detailed and lengthy contract.

(1) Length: Lease agreements are for a much longer term than rental agreements. The most common lease term is for one year, but leases can be for any length of time as long as the landlord and tenant agree to the length. They can be as short as six months or as long as 30 years, which would be more common in commercial leases.

(2) No Automatic Renewal: Lease agreements do not automatically renew. Once the original lease term is over, the tenant would have to sign a new lease with the landlord if the landlord or tenant desired a long term contract. In most cases, a lease that has expired automatically becomes a shorter term month to month agreement.

(3) Lease Terms Binding: The clauses of the lease agreement cannot be easily changed during the term of the lease. For example, if the tenant had signed a yearlong lease and the landlord wanted to increase the tenant’s rent, the landlord would have to wait until about a month before the original lease term expired. The landlord would then have to send the tenant a notice of rent increase at least 30 days’ prior to lease renewal before any rent increase could take effect.

(4) Health and Safety Issues: Lease agreements often include lead paint disclosures and information about any other known health or safety issues at the property.”

从上述描述可知，lease agreement和rental agreement还是不太一样，主要体现在三个方面：（1）租期不同：rental agreement通常是短租，常见租期为三十天，也可以更短；lease agreement是长租，常见租期为一年，也可以为六个月，甚至是几十年。（2）是否自动续约：rental agreement通常可以自动续约，原协议的全部条款依然有效；lease agreement不可以自动续约，一旦原租期到期，租客和房东需要重新签订一份协议。（3）协议条款是否可以随意更改：对于rental agreement，房东可更改协议条款，包括协议期限和租金，需提前发送通知；对于lease agreement，房东不可在协议期限内随意更改协议条款。

其实，最直接的判断方法就是看租期长短，长租选用“lease agreement”，短租选用“rental agreement”。

以上英文部分来源：The Balance Small Business

例句1：

原文：Part B shall pay the rent for first month in full within three working days before the Lease Commencement Date after signing of the Lease Agreement.

译文：本租约签订后的第一个月租金，乙方应于入住前3个工作日内全额到付给甲方。

例句2：

原文：In this landmark decision, the Singapore High Court confirmed that a lease agreement concluded by an exchange of e-mails was to be considered binding between the parties.

译文：在这项里程碑式的判决中，新加坡高等法院认为，通过电子邮件往来达成的一份租赁协议应视为对当事人双方具有约束力。

例句3：

原文：The Rent Agreement is made in duplicate, one for Party A and Party B respectively. Matters not covered shall be settled between both parties after negotiations and be valid after their signing.

译文：本租赁协议壹式两份，甲乙双方各一份，未尽事宜，双方协商后解决，双方签字后生效。

例句4：

原文：However, the owner can terminate the rent agreement if special conditions arise, such as failure to fulfil the agreement.

译文：然而，如出现一些特殊的情况，例如，未能履行协议等情况时，房产主可以终止协议。