# Lease Agreements — Property Types and Public Housing[^about] Lease agreements can cover homes, business premises, equipment or vehicles. Compare property types and selected federal public-housing rules for lease contents, rent notices and signatures. ## What property can a lease agreement cover? {#lease-property-types} **Short answer.** A lease may cover real property, such as residential or commercial premises, or personal property, such as equipment or vehicles. [^wex-lease-property-types] The property type identifies different reader needs: a home, business premises and a vehicle are distinct leasing contexts. This overview explains those categories and then addresses selected federal public-housing lease requirements. It does not supply a lease template or analyze state rules for private residential, commercial, equipment or vehicle leases. ## What is a public housing lease agreement? {#public-housing-lease} **Short answer.** Under the federal public-housing rule, the public housing agency (PHA) must enter into a lease with each tenant of a dwelling unit, and the lease must contain the provisions required by 24 C.F.R. § 966.4. [^public-housing-required-lease] Part 966 governs public-housing leases and grievance procedures, and Subpart A sets required lease provisions. [^public-housing-part-scope] The answers below address that public-housing framework. They do not establish the terms of a private-market lease or a different housing program. ## What rent must a public housing lease state? {#public-housing-rent} **Short answer.** The lease must state the initial tenant rent at the start of the initial lease term; the PHA must give written notice of a change in tenant rent and its effective date. [^public-housing-initial-rent] The rule distinguishes the amount recorded when the lease begins from later written notice of a rent change. It does not make the initial amount permanently fixed. [^public-housing-initial-rent] This answer describes the lease and notice requirements in § 966.4(b)(1)(ii); it does not calculate a tenant's rent or review the rules governing the calculation. ## Who signs a public housing lease? {#public-housing-signatures} **Short answer.** The tenant and the PHA must execute the public-housing lease, except for automatic renewals. [^public-housing-lease-execution] The automatic-renewal exception is part of the execution rule itself. [^public-housing-lease-execution] This answer identifies the parties required to execute the lease under § 966.4(a)(3); it does not resolve whether a particular lease qualifies for automatic renewal or prescribe a signing method. [^about]: By Steven Obiajulu, J.D. Published by [openagreements.org](https://openagreements.org). Last reviewed 2026-10-02. License: CC BY 4.0. Steven Obiajulu, J.D. edits this topic article for US property types; selected federal public-housing requirements coverage. It synthesizes legal sources and is not legal advice. This article is for informational purposes only and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Source excerpts and linked materials belong to their owners. CC BY 4.0. Cite as Steven Obiajulu, *Lease Agreements — Property Types and Public Housing*, OpenAgreements (last updated October 2, 2026), https://openagreements.org/practice-guides/leases/lease-agreements. [^wex-lease-property-types]: **Cornell Wex: Lease** — "Leases may involve real property, such as residential or commercial premises, or personal property, such as equipment or vehicles." *Legal Information Institute, Wex, Lease (reviewed March 2026), property categories. Editorial commentary.* [^public-housing-required-lease]: **24 C.F.R. § 966.4 — Lease requirements** — "A lease shall be entered into between the PHA and each tenant of a dwelling unit which shall contain the provisions described hereinafter." *24 C.F.R. § 966.4, opening paragraph. Current text checked against official eCFR as of October 1, 2026.* [^public-housing-part-scope]: **24 C.F.R. § 966.1 — Purpose and applicability** — "(a) This part is applicable to public housing. (b) Subpart A of this part prescribes the provisions that must be incorporated in leases for public housing dwelling units. (c) Subpart B of this part prescribes public housing grievance hearing requirements." *24 C.F.R. § 966.1. Current text checked against official eCFR.* [^public-housing-initial-rent]: **24 C.F.R. § 966.4(b)(1)(ii) — Initial rent and notice** — "The lease shall specify the initial amount of the tenant rent at the beginning of the initial lease term. The PHA shall give the tenant written notice stating any change in the amount of tenant rent, and when the change is effective." *24 C.F.R. § 966.4(b)(1)(ii). Current text checked against official eCFR as of October 1, 2026.* [^public-housing-lease-execution]: **24 C.F.R. § 966.4(a)(3) — Execution** — "The lease must be executed by the tenant and the PHA, except for automatic renewals of a lease." *24 C.F.R. § 966.4(a)(3), first sentence. Current text checked against official eCFR as of October 1, 2026.* For repeat use, install the skill: `npx skills add open-agreements/open-agreements` (lawyer-reviewed agreement templates + 50-state practice guides).