Just need the tapping steps?
The step-by-step for signing, initialing, and flattening is in how to sign a lease on your phone. This page covers the renter's side: what to check, what's in the packet, and what your landlord will accept. New to signing on a phone? Start with how to sign a PDF on iPhone.
The app finds every signature and date spot in the lease, so none get missed.
Open your PDF. Add your signature. Send it back.The renter's checklist before you sign
Read on a bigger screen if you can. If you can't, zoom in and go page by page. These are the details people most often find later.
- ✓Names. The lease lists every adult who will live there, with every name spelled correctly.
- ✓Rent and due date. The amount matches the listing, and you know the grace period and the late fee.
- ✓Lease start and end dates. Also check what happens at the end: month-to-month, auto-renewal, or a notice deadline.
- ✓Security deposit. The amount, and the conditions for getting it back.
- ✓Utilities and fees. Which utilities are yours, plus any parking, amenity, trash, or admin fees.
- ✓Pets, guests, and subletting. The rules match what the landlord told you in person.
- ✓Maintenance. How to request repairs, and who pays for what.
- ✓Blanks. No empty fields left for someone to fill in after you sign.
What's usually in a lease packet
Packets vary by state and landlord. These are the pieces renters see most often, and what each one asks of you.
| Document | What you do | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Lease agreement | Sign the last page, initial each page if asked, date it | Initials on every page, not just page 1 |
| Pet addendum | Sign if you have a pet; list the pet's details | Pet deposit vs monthly pet rent, breed or weight limits |
| Move-in condition checklist | Note existing damage room by room, sign, keep a copy | Take dated photos too; this protects your deposit |
| Disclosures (for example lead paint in older buildings, mold, bedbugs) | Read, initial or sign where marked | Checkboxes you need to tick, not just sign |
| Parking or storage addendum | Fill in vehicle or unit details, sign | Separate fees and towing rules |
| Rules or community policies | Sign that you received them | Quiet hours, trash, move-in times |
This is a general checklist, not legal advice. Tenant rules differ by state and city.
What landlords usually accept
Most small landlords and property managers are happy with a signed PDF sent back by email. Larger management companies often send a link from their own leasing portal or signing service instead. If you got a link, sign there. Don't download the file and send back a different copy.
If you got a PDF, what matters to the landlord is that they can see your signature and initials when they open it. That's where Apple Markup trips people up. Markup adds the signature as a layer on top of the PDF, and some Windows and Android viewers don't show that layer. The office opens your lease and the signature lines look blank. Flattening merges everything into the page. See Markup vs a signing app for the details.
Some leases ask for your Social Security number or bank details on the rental application. Don't upload that to a random website just to sign it. Keep it on your phone. There's more on that in browser PDF tools vs a native app.
Mistakes renters make on their phone
- ✕Signing the lease but not the pet addendum or move-in checklist that came in the same email.
- ✕Missing initials on the middle pages of a 12-page lease.
- ✕Sending an unflattened Markup file that shows blank lines on the landlord's PC.
- ✕Sending one PDF per page as phone photos instead of one signed file.
- ✕Not keeping your own copy. Save the signed lease to Files the moment you send it.
Is a lease signed on a phone valid?
In the US, the federal ESIGN Act says no one can deny a signature legal effect just because it's electronic. Renters usually sign residential leases this way now. If your landlord or state requires a specific process, or wants wet ink, follow what they ask.
What a renter pays to sign
Apple Markup is free. It's fine if your landlord uses a Mac or iPhone and the lease is short. The eSign PDF app costs $59.99 one-time (US), with no account and no subscription needed. It adds initials, dates, checkboxes, and a flattened export. The App Store shows other plans and local prices.
FAQ
Can I sign my lease on my phone instead of printing it?+
Yes. Open the PDF from the landlord's email, sign and initial it on your iPhone, flatten it, and reply with the signed file. No printer needed.
Do I have to initial every page of the lease?+
Only if the lease asks for it, and many do. Look for initial lines at the bottom of each page and fill every one before you send it back.
My landlord said they can't see my signature. What happened?+
You probably sent a Markup file that wasn't flattened. Some Windows viewers don't show Markup annotations. Re-export a flattened copy and send that.
Do I sign the pet addendum and move-in checklist too?+
Yes, if they're in the packet and they apply to you. They're separate agreements. Landlords often chase them after you sign the lease itself.
How much does eSign PDF cost?+
$59.99 one-time (US). The App Store shows other plans and local prices.