It is possible to draft your own lease agreement, but you are leaving yourself open to issues.
Examples of utilities include electricity, water and gas. Depending on how you define utilities, you could also add sewage, trash and recycling, or even cable, internet, phone and streaming services to that list.
Here are some common methods: Equal Split. The most straightforward method is an equal split, where each tenant pays an equal portion of the utility bill. Split by Square Footage. Split by Number of Occupants. Proportional Split Based on Usage.
Ask the landlord what companies they're contracted with for utilities, ie do they use the city or a private company, what internet companies have lines to the building, ect. The easiest and cheapest thing to do is to ask them what's already hooked up and just use that.
written rental agreement is absolutely valid and enforceable. It doesn't need to be notarized, but must be signed by both parties to the lease. Essential terms must be present in the writing, however.
Handwritten contracts are legally binding if they meet the necessary conditions that apply to all contracts: mutual agreement, capacity, consideration, and legal validity. There are no legal differences between typed and handwritten agreements when it comes to enforceability.
A verbal agreement is also considered a valid contract and, while much harder to enforce, can constitute a lease agreement. If you're comfortable writing your own lease agreement, you can sit down at your computer and type out everything you want your tenant to agree to. You can even hand-write it if you want.
It is possible to draft your own lease agreement, but you are leaving yourself open to issues.
Here's a list of standard fields that you should include in your lease agreement: Tenant information. Include each tenant's full name and contact information. Rental property description. Security deposit. Monthly rent amount. Utilities. Lease term. Policies. Late fees.
The answer is yes; a handwritten lease can be legally binding if certain conditions are met.