A house lease agreement is a contract that exists between the landlord and tenant in a lease. The agreement, which can be either written or oral by choice of the landlord, sets the many terms that will apply during the extent of the lease. When a house is leased, a lot more than a simple handshake and rent payment are involved. In effect, the house lease agreement defines the lease in its entirety, and then binds the two parties to honor that lease. Since the house lease agreement is essential for legal purposes, landlords and tenants entering into an agreement should be sure to take heed that their house lease agreement is created properly. A house lease agreement must include the property being rented, the names of the landlord and tenant, the duration of the lease, security deposit, and other terms of use. Additionally, both parties should make sure that the lease agreement does not violate any laws. If the terms oppose laws such as limits on security deposit, tenant privacy rights, or other such laws, they may be invalid.