Legal
Reading a residential lease before signing it
A lease is negotiable more often than tenants assume, and a small number of clauses account for most later disputes.
Start with the term and what happens at its end: whether it converts to a month-to-month arrangement, renews automatically, or requires notice by a particular date. The notice requirement is the one most often missed.
Then the deposit: how much, where it is held, what may be deducted, and when it must be returned. Many states regulate all four, and a lease term that conflicts with the state rule is generally unenforceable rather than binding.
Repairs and entry come next. The lease should say how maintenance is requested, what timescales apply, and how much notice is required before the landlord enters. Verbal assurances about repairs are worth writing into the document before signing.
Finally, the charges beyond rent: late fees, pet fees, utility arrangements and anything payable on early termination. Those figures should be specific. A clause that leaves a charge to the landlord's discretion is one to query before signing rather than after.
What to do next. Document the property's condition with dated photographs on the day you move in, and keep a copy of the signed lease.
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