Signing a lease

Signing a lease without meeting in person

It is possible to sign a lease without meeting in person.

How do I proceed?

First, you do not have to leave your home to obtain a lease form. The mandatory lease form can be purchased on the Publications du Québec website for $1.99. Be sure to choose the form that applies to your situation (for example, Lease of a dwelling, Lease in an Educational Institution, etc.).

The lessor completes the lease, scans it and emails it to the lessee (attached). The lessee prints it, signs it, scans it and returns it to the lessor, who does the same thing in turn: print it, sign it, scan it and return it to the lessee.

The lease form may be scanned using a computer or a free smartphone application. Thus, each party will have a copy of the lease signed by both the lessor and the lessee.

Keep the emails and lease as proof they were sent. In the event of a dispute, you will need those documents.

What if the lessee does not have the technological tools needed to digitize the lease form using a computer or a smartphone application?

The lessor may complete and sign the lease form, and then email it to the lessee. Upon receiving and examining the lease, the lessee need only forward the email containing the lease back to the lessor with the following response:

"I agree to the terms and conditions of the attached lease. This response has the same effect as a signature."

Keep the emails as proof they were sent and print the lease form in the event of a dispute.

These procedures have the same legal value as a printed contract with handwritten signatures.