Buildium allows you to create templates for all your lease documents and addenda, and use them throughout the eLeasing process. When you select a template you created from Buildium’s library, the system fills out the whole lease for you based on the autofill fields you entered into the template.
If you're not signed up for eLeasing, you'll be prompted to sign up if you follow the instructions below.
Learn more about eLeasing here
To Create a Lease Template
- Navigate to Leasing > eLease and Draft Leases.
- From the leasing page, click Add lease template.
- This will bring you to a page where you can create a template to reuse in the future. Templates use autofill fields, so the system will automatically populate the lease details in the areas you've added a field for during eLeasing, like tenant names, rent amounts, or dates.
- Enter a name for your template, and then select if this template will be used for a lease, or as an addendum. You can create headers and footers for your document, so you can ensure that you have required branding and images on every page.
- You can copy and paste documents from a MS Word file (it's required to use keyboard shortcuts, such as Ctrl + C on a PC or Cmmd + C on a Mac), or use the upload button to import your existing lease document into the system.
NOTE: The upload option will only accept documents in a .docx format.
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Formatting and Margins: Margins are visible within the header, content and footer sections to help you format the lease agreement template. Any content you wish to appear on the lease agreement must fit within the margins.
Note: Tables or text without a break (space) may extend into the grey section and will be cropped out of the document upon sending. We recommend using the template preview before sending the agreement for the first time.
- Once you have your lease language in the content section, any empty lines in the original document can be replaced with one of our autofill fields. Note: Autofill fields, Custom Autofill fields and Signature tools can be added to the content and footer section of your eLease templates.
There are 3 autofill field menus:
- Autofill fields - These are the standard fields that the system can automatically fill in for you based on the data you have you in your Buildium account
- Custom autofill fields - You can create, name, and insert these fields in a template, just like an autofill field. Custom fields do not correlate to any information in your account, so when you create a lease from the template, we’ll prompt the staff member entering the lease to enter the details at that time. Example: number of pets.
- Signature tools - If you’ve used the eLease feature before, these are the same fields that are dragged into a document, to identify the places for each person to sign. With lease templates, you can tell the system ahead of time where the signature and initial boxes go, so you don’t have to spend time dragging them around later. You can enter checkboxes, and if you need to, you’ll still be able to adjust the sizes or locations before you actually send your lease out for signatures.
To edit, copy, or delete a lease template:
- Navigate to Leasing > eLease and draft leases.
- Click View lease templates.
- From this page, you can preview, edit, copy, or delete your existing templates.
To use a lease template:
If you’ve used eLease before, this flow should look familiar. Not much has changed, except you’ll now have a choice between picking one of your template documents, or uploading a PDF (like you have in the past).
To use eLease and templates, click Add lease on the Rent roll page, or on the eLease and draft leases page. You can also click Renew if you are using lease renewals.
- After clicking Add lease, you’ll be prompted to create an eLease or executed lease. To use a template you created, click Create an eLease.
- Once you fill out the information about the lease, you’ll be brought to a new page where you can select your template or upload a PDF.
- If you select a template, the system will automatically fill out the document with data based on the information entered on the previous screen.
- If you choose the PDF option, you will need to fill out lease related information outside of the system before you upload it. Either way, you’ll still be able to place your signature fields, and send it out via Buildium to collect and track your required signatures.
NOTE: When you click the preview and send button after selecting a template that has custom autofill fields, you’ll be asked to enter that information now, so it can be placed in the document. - At this point your preview pane will open, and you can add any final checkmarks or radio buttons to your agreement. You can also adjust the size or placement of any of the signature and initial fields that automatically entered from your template.