I have seen cases in Staten Island where landlords filled out a standard lease form downloaded from the internet with just names and addresses and then had disputes later over repair responsibilities. The form itself wasn't bad, but it lacked clauses that were appropriate for the specific situation of the house and tenant. Writing a lease involves more considerations than one might think.

To outline the process, you start by setting the rent, advertising, screening tenants, writing the lease, and finally checking local laws.

Looking at the rent, as of August 2026, the average rent in Staten Island, according to Zumper, is $3,000. This is a 24 percent increase from a year ago and 56 percent higher than the national average. While this is advantageous for rental income, setting the rent too high can lead to longer vacancy periods. It's advisable to check the recent market rates for nearby properties.

Once you've set the rent, you can advertise on Zillow, Apartments.com, and StreetEasy. Since inquiries may be relatively fewer than in other boroughs, it's beneficial to prepare detailed photos and descriptions.

When inquiries come in, you should check the credit score, proof of income, and rental history from previous landlords. It's advantageous to verify all three, but in situations where you need to fill the vacancy quickly, there may be a temptation to skip this step. However, skipping it often leads to issues with late rent payments later on.

There are also things to check when showing the house. While showing multiple applicants at once can save time, it's safer to bring a friend or inform family of your schedule since you'll be dealing with strangers. If you need to visit the house for repairs or inspections after the tenant moves in, it's important to notify them in advance. Even if you use a standard lease, having a separate procedure for visit notifications can make your relationship with the tenant much smoother later on.

When writing the lease, don't just use the standard form; you need to add clauses that are specific to this house. Basic elements include the rent amount and due date, security deposit, lease term, and specifics on who is responsible for repairs, how the yard or parking space is used, and whether pets are allowed. It's important to specify these details to avoid disputes later. If you're writing a lease for the first time, it's good to ensure you don't miss the following items:

• Lease term, rent amount, and due date
• Security deposit amount and return conditions
• Responsibilities for repairs and maintenance
• Pet, parking, and yard usage regulations
• Conditions for termination and renewal of the lease

In addition to the clauses to include in the lease, there's something else to take care of. Before the tenant moves in, take photos of the house's condition. This record will serve as evidence when deducting from the security deposit, benefiting the landlord. In areas like Staten Island, where single-family homes are common, there are many houses built before 1978, and in such cases, landlords must provide tenants with lead paint disclosure documents as required by federal law, which may be unfamiliar to first-time landlords. It's also good to know that having landlord insurance can protect against risks like fire or damage.

You should also check New York state regulations. The security deposit cannot exceed one month's rent and must be returned within 14 days after the tenant moves out, along with a breakdown of deductions. When evicting a tenant for non-payment, you must provide a 5-day notice and a 14-day notification, and for lease violations, a 10-day notice to cure followed by a 30-day eviction notice. In all cases, court procedures must be followed, and evicting a tenant without going through the proper channels is illegal.

Following this process should make writing the lease feel less daunting. However, this article is intended to provide general information, and it is recommended that actual leases be reviewed by a real estate professional or a landlord-tenant attorney.