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If an LLC owns the rental, should the lease be in the LLC's name or mine?

DoorKeeping team

3 min read

In the LLC's name. When an LLC owns the property, the lease should name the LLC as the landlord, and you should sign as its manager or member, not as yourself. A lease signed personally can blur the line between you and the company, which weakens the protection the LLC is meant to give. Rent, deposits and expenses should also run through the LLC's own bank account. This is general information, not legal or tax advice, so confirm with your own attorney or accountant.

Why the name on the lease matters

A lease is a contract between the landlord and the tenant. If the property belongs to an LLC but the lease says "Jane Smith, Landlord," the tenant's contract is with Jane, not the company. That can make Jane personally responsible for the lease, and it gives a plaintiff a simple argument that the LLC and Jane are not really separate.

Courts look at whether an owner treats the LLC as a separate business. The name on the lease, the bank account that receives rent and the way deposits are held are all part of the picture.

How to write and sign it

  • Landlord: the LLC's full legal name as it appears on its formation document, such as "Maple Street Holdings LLC."
  • Signature block: "Maple Street Holdings LLC, by Jane Smith, Manager" (or Member), with the signer's title.
  • Notice address: the LLC's mailing address, and a contact email, so tenant notices reach the company.
  • Payments: the LLC's bank account, not a personal account.
  • Deposit: held in the LLC's account as your state requires.

Some states require a landlord to disclose the name and address of the owner or manager in the lease or by notice. Check your state's rule and make sure what you disclose matches the LLC.

If you moved the property into an LLC after tenants moved in

Transferring a rental to an LLC can affect your mortgage (some loans have a due-on-sale clause), your insurance and your title. See transferring a rental to an LLC before you do it. Once it is done, tell existing tenants in writing that the landlord is now the LLC, give the new payment and notice details, and update their lease records. A short assignment or amendment signed by the tenant is cleaner than a letter alone.

Example a made-up landlord moves a 3-unit building into "Maple Street Holdings LLC" in March. Leases signed before March name Jane personally. The landlord sends each tenant a notice and an amendment naming the LLC as landlord from April 1, with the LLC's account for rent. New leases are written in the LLC's name from the start.

Keep the money in the LLC too

The name on the lease is one piece. The LLC should also have its own bank account, receive the rent and pay the property's bills, with the books kept per LLC. Mixing in personal spending is the most common way owners weaken their LLC. See one LLC per property and commingling.

How DoorKeeping handles it

DoorKeeping is set up around one LLC owning one property: each LLC has its own ledger, bank account, deposits held and profit and loss, and the lease belongs to that property, so you can sign it as the LLC. You see every property together and can ask Claude or ChatGPT about any one. DoorKeeping does not give legal advice, so confirm your structure with your own attorney. Rent stays in your own bank account, and anything involving money waits for your approval.

Sources

  1. DoorKeeping: Connect Claude or ChatGPT (steps and tools list), read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

Should I sign a lease personally if an LLC owns the property?
No. Sign as the LLC's manager or member so the contract is with the company. Confirm your setup with your own attorney.
What should the signature block say?
The LLC's full legal name, then "by" your name and title, such as Manager or Member.
What if tenants moved in before the LLC owned the property?
Notify them in writing and sign an amendment naming the LLC as landlord, with the new payment and notice details.
Does the rent have to go to the LLC's bank account?
It should. Keeping rent, deposits and expenses in the LLC's own account supports its separate status. Ask your accountant about your case.

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