# Lease in Spanish: the clause terms, and how to translate a whole lease

A lease in Spanish is a contrato de arrendamiento, and in everyday US Spanish a contrato de renta. LoreAI translates a full signed lease in either direction and returns an editable Word file with every clause, number and date in place. In California, a landlord who negotiates a lease of more than one month mainly in Spanish has to hand over a Spanish translation before signing[1].

## What is a lease called in Spanish?

- **Lease, lease agreement**: Contrato de arrendamiento
- **Rental agreement**: Contrato de alquiler in Spain, contrato de renta in Mexico and the US
- **Landlord**: Arrendador, casero, propietario
- **Tenant**: Arrendatario, inquilino
- **Sublease**: Subarrendamiento
- **Guarantor, co-signer**: Fiador, aval

Arrendamiento is the legal word and the one courts use. Alquiler and renta are what people say. A translation of a signed lease keeps to the legal register, so the title becomes Contrato de arrendamiento.

## Clause terms in a US lease, in Spanish

A residential lease runs to ten pages or more, and most disputes come from a few clauses. These are the terms a tenant needs to read in their own language.

*Lease clause terms, English to Spanish*

| In the lease | In Spanish |
| --- | --- |
| Security deposit | Depósito de garantía, fianza |
| Monthly rent, due date | Renta mensual, fecha de vencimiento |
| Late fee, grace period | Cargo por pago atrasado, periodo de gracia |
| Lease term, fixed term | Plazo del contrato, plazo fijo |
| Month-to-month tenancy | Arrendamiento de mes a mes |
| Early termination fee | Penalización por terminación anticipada |
| Notice to vacate | Aviso de desalojo voluntario, aviso para desocupar |
| Eviction | Desalojo |
| Renewal | Renovación |
| Utilities | Servicios públicos: agua, luz, gas |
| Maintenance and repairs | Mantenimiento y reparaciones |
| Pet policy, pet deposit | Política de mascotas, depósito por mascota |
| Normal wear and tear | Desgaste normal por uso |
| Joint and several liability | Responsabilidad solidaria |

## When a landlord has to give you the lease in Spanish

California has a specific rule. A business that negotiates primarily in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese or Korean, orally or in writing, gives the other party a translation of the contract before it is signed[1]. The rule covers a lease, sublease or rental agreement for longer than one month for a dwelling, an apartment or a mobilehome, and the translation contains every term and condition[1].

Other states set their own rules, and many have none. When you sign a lease you cannot read, ask the landlord for a translated copy, or translate it yourself before you sign so you know what the late fee and the notice period are.

## A Spanish lease in English

The direction often runs the other way. A contrato de arrendamiento from Mexico, Puerto Rico or Spain shows proof of address for a visa, a bank or a school enrollment, and the office reading it wants it in English. Spanish leases use terms such as renta mensual, depósito en garantía, fiador and cláusula de rescisión, which become monthly rent, security deposit, guarantor and termination clause.

For USCIS, a lease in Spanish is a foreign language document, so it goes in with a full English translation and the translator's certification[2]. See [USCIS translation](https://www.loreai.org/uscis-translation) for who may sign.

## How to translate a lease with LoreAI

1. **Scan or photograph every page.** A PDF from the landlord, a scan or phone photos of the signed copy all work, initials and handwritten changes included.
2. **Upload the file and choose the target language.** Spanish for a US lease, English for a contrato de arrendamiento. LoreAI detects the source language.
3. **Download the Word file.** Clause numbering, headings and any rent schedule table come back in the original order, with amounts and dates as written.

A long lease fits in one upload. Free covers 3 pages, Basic up to 30 pages per document and Pro up to 100 pages. LoreAI is not a certified translation service, so for a court or USCIS a bilingual person reviews the file and signs.

## Questions people ask

### How do you say lease in Spanish?

Contrato de arrendamiento. In Mexico and the US people also say contrato de renta, and in Spain contrato de alquiler.

### How do you say lease agreement in Spanish?

Contrato de arrendamiento, the same term. Rental agreement is contrato de alquiler or contrato de renta.

### Does my landlord have to give me a Spanish lease?

In California, yes, when the lease was negotiated primarily in Spanish and runs longer than one month[1]. Other states have their own rules.

### Can I translate my own lease for USCIS?

USCIS asks for a full English translation and the translator's certification of accuracy and competence[2]. The rule names no agency.

## Sources

1. [FindLaw: California Civil Code section 1632](https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/civil-code/civ-sect-1632/), accessed November 9, 2026
2. [8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), Translations, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-103/subpart-A/section-103.2), accessed November 9, 2026

By Matt Mountain · Updated November 9, 2026