Use Case
Sign your lease from the couch.
Your landlord emailed a 12-page lease. They want it back by tomorrow. You don't have a printer. You're not driving to FedEx Office to sign a piece of paper.
Short answer
The traditional approach: print the 12-page lease, sign every page, scan it all back in, email a 50MB file. This requires a printer, a scanner, 20 minutes, and paper you'll throw away.
Last updated 2026-04-18
The challenges
- 1Leases are 5-15 pages long and need signatures and initials on multiple pages
- 2Landlords expect the signed lease back within 24-48 hours — delays risk losing the apartment
- 3Most renters don't own printers, especially in cities where apartments are small
- 4Leases need your signature, initials on every page, dates, and tenant information (name, phone, SSN, employer)
- 5Apple Markup has a known bug where signatures on pages 2+ disappear when saving multi-page PDFs
- 6You need to keep a signed copy for your records in case of disputes
Why Printing and Scanning Doesn't Work for Renters
The traditional approach: print the 12-page lease, sign every page, scan it all back in, email a 50MB file. This requires a printer, a scanner, 20 minutes, and paper you'll throw away. Most renters in 2026 don't own printers. Going to FedEx Office or a library to print is slow and inconvenient. Apple Markup fails on multi-page leases because of the disappearing signature bug. And even when Markup works, it can't add dates automatically, can't check agreement boxes, and doesn't flatten signatures. Your landlord could accidentally (or intentionally) remove your Markup signature with any PDF editor.
How eSign PDF Handles Lease Signing
Open the lease PDF in eSign PDF. AI detection highlights where signatures, initials, and dates should go across all pages. Create your signature once (draw, type, or import). Navigate between pages using thumbnails. Place your full signature where required, initials on each page, and the date next to every signature. Fill in your tenant information using the text tool. Check any agreement boxes with the checkbox tool. Tap Done. The export flattens everything permanently. Email the signed lease back to your landlord. Save a copy in your Personal folder. The entire process takes 5 minutes. No printer, no scanner, no driving anywhere.
Learn more about eSign PDF →A day in the life
Landlord emails the lease
Save the PDF attachment to Files, then open it in eSign PDF. The app handles leases of any length.
Create your signature
First time only. Draw your signature with the Fountain pen style for a professional look. Save it. Also create a separate initials entry.
Sign every page
Use page thumbnails to navigate the lease. Full signature on the signature pages, initials on every other page. Date stamp next to each. Fill in your name, address, phone, and employer details with the text tool.
Export and send
Tap Done. Preview the signed lease. Export as flattened PDF. Email it back to the landlord. Save a copy to your Personal folder. Done before the landlord's deadline.
Recommended setup
- 1Create both a full signature and an initials signature so you can quickly place either on lease pages
- 2Use the Personal folder to keep all your lease documents organized
- 3Always flatten the PDF before sending — your landlord receives a tamper-proof document
- 4Save a copy of the signed lease to your Files app iCloud folder for long-term backup
- 5If the lease has checkboxes for terms, use the checkbox tool instead of trying to draw checkmarks
Built for Renters & Tenants
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