Send lease for signature: 6 steps with signing order

Upload the lease PDF, add each signer's name and email, place and assign the fields, set the signing order, then send.

Key takeaways

• For pre-1978 housing covered by the EPA rule, give the lead paint disclosure before the tenant signs. The Lead-based Paint Disclosure Rule requires sellers, landlords, real estate agents, and property managers to provide specific information about known lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before prospective renters and homebuyers sign a lease or contract, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Signing order defines the sequence in which recipients receive and complete the document, when that sequence matters, according to PandaDoc.
• If you need tenants to sign in a specific sequence, confirm your tool supports it. Box Sign FAQ states that you can specify a required order of signatures, according to Box.
• Your six-step workflow: (1) attach the lead paint disclosure if your pre-1978 unit is covered by the EPA rule, (2) upload the lease PDF, (3) add signer names and emails, (4) place signature fields, (5) set the signing order, (6) send.

Send lease for signature: the short answer

To send a lease for signature with signers in the right order, you first prepare the document and then configure the recipient sequence. The process involves adding the specific people who must sign, placing their required fields on the pages, and defining the exact sequence in which they receive the document. According to Dropbox, you add the names and email addresses of the people who need to sign. This step identifies the individuals who will interact with the document.

Once the recipients are listed, you prepare the document for their input. According to Dropbox, you click and drag the fields you’d like to add from the left sidebar to your document. This action places the signature fields in the correct locations on the lease.

The final configuration step involves determining the flow of the request. Setting the signing order ensures that the document moves through the required parties in the specific sequence you define. You complete the process by sending the request to the first signer in that sequence.

Check the build year of the unit you are about to lease; if it was built before 1978, find out whether it is covered housing under the EPA rule, and if so add the lead paint disclosure to your lease packet before you send it for signature.

Step 1: attach the lead paint disclosure for pre-1978 units

This requirement applies to most pre-1978 private housing, public housing, federally owned housing, and housing receiving federal assistance, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Homebuyers and renters of most pre-1978 private, public, federally owned housing, and housing receiving federal assistance have the right to know whether lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards are present before signing a contract or lease, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Check the build year of the unit you are about to lease. A building constructed before 1978 is likely within the federal rule, which covers most pre-1978 housing. Include the required lead information in the documents you send for signature. Verify the construction date and the housing category to determine if your unit falls within the scope, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

If your unit is not pre-1978 private housing, public housing, federally owned housing, or housing receiving federal assistance, the federal requirement described here may not apply. Do not assume the disclosure is needed for all housing types. The scope is limited to the categories named by the EPA, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

If a tenant did not receive the disclosure of information on lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards when they rented pre-1978 housing, they can report this information to epa.gov/lead/violation, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ensure the tenant has access to the lead information before they execute the lease. This step protects the tenant’s right to know about potential hazards.

Steps 2 and 3: upload the lease PDF and add signers

The second step in the process involves getting your lease document into the e-signature platform. If you are using the eSignature feature within Google Docs, you can upload a new PDF file or find an existing one that you want to use, according to Google. This allows you to start the request with the specific version of the lease you have prepared. If you are using Dropbox Sign, the interface asks you to select the file(s) you’d like to send for signature, according to Dropbox. You can choose multiple files if your lease packet includes separate documents that need signing.

Once you have added all your files, click Next, according to Dropbox. This moves you from the file selection stage to the signer configuration stage. Do not skip this step if you are using Dropbox Sign, as it confirms which documents are part of the current request.

The third step is to identify who needs to sign the lease. In Dropbox Sign, you must add the names and email addresses of the people who need to sign, according to Dropbox. This list typically includes the landlord or property manager and the prospective tenants. Ensure the email addresses are accurate.

In Google Docs eSignature, the process for managing the signer list is slightly different. To update the list of available signers in the dropdown, select Manage signers, according to Google. This feature allows you to add or remove names from the pool of people who can be assigned to signature fields. If you have a co-signer or a guarantor, you can add them here before you begin placing fields on the document.

When adding signers, keep the names exactly as they appear on the lease to avoid confusion. If you are using a tool that allows you to specify roles, ensure each person is listed correctly. The goal of this step is to have a complete and accurate list of individuals who will receive the document. If you realize you missed a signer, use the manage signers option or the equivalent in your chosen tool to add them before proceeding.

Steps 4 to 6: place fields, set signing order and send

Place the signature fields on the lease document and assign each one to the correct signer. In Dropbox Sign, click and drag the fields you’d like to add from the left sidebar to your document, according to Dropbox. If you need to change who a field is assigned to, click the field you’d like to assign, then click the dropdown menu under Assigned to in the right sidebar, according to Dropbox. In Google Docs, if you have multiple signers, under “Insert fields for,” select the specific signer you want to insert an eSignature field for, according to Google. This step ensures each signature block is linked to the correct tenant or landlord before the document is sent.

Set the signing order to control the sequence in which recipients receive and complete the document. In PandaDoc, you configure recipients and signing order in Step 2 (Recipients) of the document creation wizard, in the Recipients panel on the right, according to PandaDoc. If you are using Box Sign, you can specify a required order of signatures, according to Box. For a lease with multiple tenants, setting the order ensures that each person signs in the sequence you intend, rather than all at once.

Send the document to the signers once the fields and order are configured. The specific send action varies by platform, but the preparation steps above are complete before you trigger the send. In Dropbox Sign, the process involves selecting files and adding signers before placing fields, as detailed in the previous steps. In Google Docs, you manage the signer list and fields before sending. In PandaDoc, the send action follows in Step 3 of the wizard, according to PandaDoc. In Box Sign, you specify the required order before sending.

Illustrative example: three signers in order

Suppose a lease has 3 signers: 2 tenants and 1 landlord. You upload the lease PDF and add all 3 names and emails. You place 1 signature field for each signer and assign each field to the right person. In the signing order, you put tenant one first, tenant two second and the landlord third, so the landlord signs last. The unit was built before 1978, so you first confirm it is covered housing and, if it is, add the lead paint disclosure to the packet. Then you send. These figures are illustrative only.

Lease e-signature reference table by publisher

The table below maps the six steps of sending a lease for signature to the specific actions documented for each publisher. Each row names the publisher and the action that publisher's help page describes for that step.

To assign a recipient to a role in PandaDoc, select the unassigned role and start typing the recipient's name or email address, according to PandaDoc. To change who a field is assigned to in Dropbox, click the field you’d like to assign, then click the dropdown menu under Assigned to in the right sidebar, according to Dropbox. Box supports A4, A3, A5, US Letter, Legal, Envelopes, or Tabloid page sizes, according to Box.

Records to keep: signer list, order and disclosure

Keep a clear record of who was listed as a signer, the order they were set to sign in, and whether you included the lead paint disclosure for a pre-1978 unit. These records are supporting documentation of what you set up and included. For other paperwork to keep with the lease, see the lease clause checklist and the move-in inspection checklist, and review the security deposit return deadline rules.

Signer list and order Save the final list of signers and the specific order in which they were required to sign. If you used a tool that lets you set a signing order, export or screenshot that setting before the document is closed. This records the signer list and order as configured at that time; it cannot establish what happened after sending.

Lead paint disclosure If the unit was built before 1978, keep a copy of the lead-based paint disclosure form you provided. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that landlords and property managers give specific lead information before prospective renters sign a lease for most pre-1978 private housing, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Store this document in the same folder as the signed lease so it is easy to retrieve if a tenant later asks about it.

Reporting a missed disclosure If a tenant claims they did not receive the disclosure of information on lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards when they rented pre-1978 housing, the EPA advises reporting this information to epa.gov/lead/violation, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Keeping your records organized makes it easier to verify whether you did provide the disclosure and to respond accurately if a violation is reported.

Your next step today

Open your lease file, check the unit's build year, and write down the signers in the order you want them to sign. That list is all you need to start the six steps in whichever tool you use.

FAQ: sending a lease for e-signature

How do I send a lease for signature?

You upload the lease PDF, add the names and email addresses of the people who need to sign, place the signature fields, set the signing order, and send the document. Dropbox Sign instructs you to add the names and email addresses of the people who need to sign Dropbox. The process involves selecting the files, adding signers, dragging fields onto the document, and assigning them to specific individuals.

Does the lead paint disclosure apply to my building?

The requirement applies to most pre-1978 private housing, public housing, federally owned housing, and housing receiving federal assistance U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Check the build year of your unit to see if it falls under this category. If the unit was built before 1978, check whether it is covered housing; if it is, the disclosure is required before signing.

Can I require signers to sign in a set order?

Yes, you can specify a required order of signatures Box. This allows you to control the sequence in which signers complete the document. You set the order before sending the request to ensure the lease is signed in the correct sequence.

Which tool lets me assign a signature field to one signer?

In Google Docs eSignature, if you have multiple signers, you select the specific signer you want to insert an eSignature field for under “Insert fields for” Google. This feature ensures each field is linked to the correct individual. You choose the signer name from the list when placing each field on the document.

What should I do if a pre-1978 tenant never got the lead disclosure?

Report it to epa.gov/lead/violation. If you did not receive the disclosure of information on lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards when you bought or rented pre-1978 housing, report this information there U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. You should verify your records to confirm whether the disclosure was provided during the leasing process.