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Full Lease Transaction Workflow

Nicole Wissbaum
Updated
Full Lease Transaction Workflow

Full Lease Transaction Workflow

Creating a lease transaction in the Side App — from selecting your representation type through documents, compliance, and getting paid.

Overview & Requirements

All lease transactions must be entered in the Side App within 48 hours of agreement. The lease agreement and all supporting documents must be loaded into Compliance Review before the move-in date — you cannot request additional signatures from tenants after they have moved in.

Create Transaction
Complete Cover Sheet
Documents & Signatures
Submit for Compliance
Create Lease Invoice
Get Paid
Don't wait on documents If you don't have all required documents yet, upload what you have and add a note in the compliance file explaining what's outstanding. The critical deadline is the move-in date — everything must be in before then.

Choosing Your Representation Type

The most important decision when creating a lease transaction is selecting the correct representation type upfront. This is difficult to change after the fact — read the rules below before proceeding.

🏠 Landlord Only

You represent only the landlord. Documents are distributed to the landlord side only.

⚠️ Can be upgraded to Landlord & Tenant — but cannot revert back. To go back to Landlord Only, cancel and recreate.

🔑 Tenant Only

You represent only the tenant. Documents are distributed to the tenant side only.

⚠️ Cannot switch to Landlord & Tenant. To represent both parties, cancel the transaction and create a new one with the correct type selected.

🤝 Landlord & Tenant

You represent both parties. One compliance file, one commission form, documents distributed to all parties.

⚠️ Cannot change to Landlord Only or Tenant Only. To make a change, cancel and recreate with the correct type.

Tenant Is Self-Represented?

If the tenant is not represented by an agent but the parties agree to allow the Landlord Agent to facilitate the transaction, check the "Tenant is self-represented" checkbox on the Cover Sheet. This removes the Listing Agent signature fields from document distribution — Landlord Agent, Landlord, and Tenant signatures remain available.

Creating the Transaction

  1. In the Side App, click Leases in the left sidebar.
  2. Click Create Lease Transaction.
  3. Select who you are representing: Landlord, Tenant, or Landlord & Tenant. Choose carefully — see the representation type rules above.
  4. Enter the property address — always select it from the dropdown that appears. Do not type it manually, as this links the address to the correct state forms and MLS data.
  5. Fill out all mandatory fields on the Cover Sheet. Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*) — the Documents section won't activate until these are complete.

Key Cover Sheet Fields for Leases

Field What to Know
Representation Type Selected at creation — review the rules above before choosing. Hard to change after the fact.
Expected Payment Date The date you expect to be paid. For New York agents, "Expected Close Date" reflects when you expect the contract to be accepted by the building's governing body (HOA, Co-op, etc.).
Tenant is self-represented Check this if the tenant is unrepresented but the parties agree the Landlord Agent will facilitate. This adjusts which signature fields appear on documents.
Already have a transaction from the old workflow? Existing in-progress transactions have already been updated to align with the current workflow. You should be able to proceed without any changes — but note that representation type cannot be changed retroactively.

Documents & Signatures

  1. Once the Cover Sheet is complete, click the Documents tab.
  2. Select a Lease template from the template library. State-approved lease templates are available — select the one that matches your transaction type and location.
  3. Access Disclosures in the Documents section to create any additional documents required for your transaction.
  4. Complete all document fields. Cover Sheet data will pre-populate where applicable.
  5. Move documents to Active when they're ready to send, then click Prepare Envelope.
  6. Edit the subject line and email body as needed, then click Send. Documents are distributed to all parties based on your representation type.
Move-in deadline is firm. All documents requiring signatures must be sent and executed before the tenant moves in. You cannot request additional signatures after the move-in date — plan your document timeline with this deadline in mind.

If You Don't Have All Documents Yet

Don't wait to submit for compliance just because some documents are missing. Upload what you have and add a note explaining what's outstanding:

  • Under Transaction Notes within Compliance Review, or
  • In the TC View of the compliance checklist — click the comment box on the relevant checklist item and add a note

The compliance team will review what you have and flag what's still needed rather than rejecting the entire file.

Submitting for Compliance

  1. Open the lease transaction and click "Ready for Compliance Review" from the Cover Sheet.
  2. Complete all action items listed on the left side of the compliance screen.
  3. Upload required documents to the checklist on the right side. Required items are marked with an asterisk (*).
  4. Click Submit. Side's compliance team will begin review within 48 hours.
Submit before the move-in date. All documents — including the lease agreement and any supplemental disclosures — must be in the compliance file before the tenant moves in. Late submissions cannot be corrected by requesting new signatures after move-in.

Documents That Must Be Manually Uploaded

Only documents sent and signed through the Side App transfer automatically to the compliance checklist. The following must be manually uploaded:

  • Documents signed outside the Side App (wet signatures, external platforms)
  • Documents uploaded but not sent through DocuSign
  • Any supplemental forms prepared outside the Side App template library
Master Guide: Navigating Compliance Review →

Full detail on compliance stages, checklist logic, rejection reasons, and how to close out a lease file correctly.

Getting Paid

Lease commissions work differently from sale transactions — instead of flowing through escrow, the payer remits funds directly to Side. Here's the full payment flow:

  1. Complete compliance review on the lease file.
  2. In the Side App, go to the Documents step of the lease transaction and create the lease invoice for payment processing.
  3. Forward the lease invoice to the payer via email or in person. Ask them to reference your full name and property address (including unit number) when remitting payment to Side — this is critical for fast processing.
  4. In the Side App, open the property, click Commission Form on the left panel, attach the lease invoice, and submit to initiate the payment request.
  5. Side disburses your commission upon receipt of funds from the payer.
Multiple payments in one transaction? If your client owes funds to multiple parties — for example, first month's rent or a security deposit to the landlord, plus commission to Side — ask the payer to initiate separate payments, one per recipient. Side should only receive the funds related to the agent's commission.

If You Haven't Been Paid

Situation What to Do
Payment has been initiated but not received Email help@side.com — Side will investigate.
Unsure if the payer has sent funds Contact your client or the other agent directly to confirm the remittance status. Side does not contact clients on your behalf.
Master Guide: Commissions & Payouts →

Full detail on lease invoices, commission form submission, payment tracking, and what to do if funds haven't arrived.

Dual Representation — Landlord & Tenant Both Sides

When you represent both the landlord and the tenant, select Landlord & Tenant as your representation type when creating the transaction. This keeps everything in one file.

What's Different Detail
Documents You can send documents to and collect signatures from both parties within the same transaction — no need to create separate files.
Compliance Only one compliance file needs to be submitted — it covers both sides of the transaction.
Commission form Only one commission form is required — it covers both the landlord and tenant sides.
Changing representation later Cannot be changed. If you need to split into separate Landlord Only or Tenant Only files, cancel the transaction and recreate with the correct type.
Why you still need a Cover Sheet for each party Even in dual representation, you need separate Landlord and Tenant Cover Sheets in the Side App. This is required so the system can generate the correct signature fields and document distribution for each party when you send envelopes.

Common Questions

I selected the wrong representation type — what do I do?

It depends on what you selected. Landlord Only can be upgraded to Landlord & Tenant. Tenant Only and Landlord & Tenant cannot be changed — you'll need to cancel the transaction and create a new one with the correct representation type selected.

Why can't I request signatures after move-in?

Once a tenant has moved in, they are no longer in a position to negotiate or decline terms — requiring signatures after occupancy raises legal and compliance issues. All documents must be fully executed beforehand. If you're approaching the move-in date with outstanding signatures, escalate immediately via help@side.com.

Do I need to create a file if the lease is already fully executed?

Yes. Side requires all lease transactions to be entered in the Side App within 48 hours of agreement, regardless of whether documents were executed outside the platform. Upload the executed documents directly to the compliance checklist.

The commission form won't show the lease invoice attachment option

Make sure the lease invoice has been created first from the Documents step of the lease transaction in the Side App. The commission form attachment option only appears once a lease invoice exists on the file.

Can I run a lease and a sale transaction for the same property simultaneously?

Yes — lease and sale transactions are tracked separately in the Side App. Creating a lease transaction does not affect any existing sale transaction for the same property.

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