united-states residential-lease signature
Can I electronically &quot;sign&quot; a lease agreement?
<p>My landlord emailed me a copy of our new lease as a PDF document.  I am to print it out, initial each page and then sign and date the last page, scan it, and email it back to him.  </p>

<p>Can't I simply scan my initials and signature and insert them as images into the PDF, and email the modified document back?  Would it really make a difference?</p>

<p>At common law you do not need to sign a contract for it to be legally enforceable; it doesn't even have to be written down. Local real estate law may <em>require</em> a lease to be in writing (and possibly even signed). Putting that aside generally, the purpose of signing a contract is to:</p>

<ol>
<li>Show the intention to be legally bound. This is superfluous: they have sent you the lease, you have moved in - it is clear you both intend to be legally bound.</li>
<li>Avoid future disputes over what the terms of the lease are. Signing it provides evidence that the document has not been altered subsequently. A written rather than a scanned signature is better for this simply because anyone with reasonably low computer skills can take a scanned image and apply it to another document. Better than both is a secure electronic signature that is invalidated if the document is changed.</li>
</ol>

<p>Unless you or your landlord are willing to commit fraud to win a dispute over a lease, it probably doesn't matter either way.</p>

<p>Makes no difference how you get the marks into the PDF if the counterparty is satisfied with the result.</p>

<p>Typically, if a counterparty cares they would ask you to forward signed hardcopy through regular mail.</p>

<p>If they really care, they will ask for a notarized copy of the agreement.</p>
