Understanding Your Lease
Maybe you'll sign the lease, move in to your new apartment, and
everything will go as you desired. There's a chance that you
will never have any lease problems. However, there's also a
chance that by signing the lease without scrutinizing it, you
missed paragraph five, section "b" which informed you that if a
rental payment is one week late, you will be evicted, your tires
will be slashed and your first born child will be stolen and
sold to gypsies. Don't let this happen to you!
Suzie, the perky, blonde representative of Miscellaneous
Apartment Village hands you the lease and a pen. You're excited
about moving in to your new apartment, and begin skimming over
the billions of tiny letters. Smiling, the representative beams,
"Just sign and date the bottom and we'll get you moved right
in." Sounds easy enough, right? Why should you sit there and
waste 30 minutes trying to understand this sea of words? Suzie's
a nice lady, and you're sure there isn't anything in the lease
that you haven't already spoken with her about.
Maybe you'll sign the lease, move in, and everything will go as
you desired. There's a chance that you will never have problems
with the lease. However, there's also a chance that by signing
the lease without scrutinizing it, you missed paragraph five,
section "b", and you're really going to miss your first born.
Realize that landlords are allowed to include any provisions
they want. And once you sign the lease, the terms (in most
cases) are legally binding. Take the extra time to completely
understand this document, and don't feel awkward if the
representative stands impatiently over you. You are in control.
They aren't paying you, you're paying them... so if they're too
impatient to wait for you to sign the lease... then take your
business elsewhere.
When you get the lease, analyze every word. Some of it may be
confusing. Take your time. If you don't understand a clause, ask
for clarifications. If you don't agree with a provision, see if
you and your landlord can compromise. If you do feel it's
necessary to make changes to the lease, these changes should be
initialed by both you and the landlord. Do not settle for oral
agreements. An oral agreement will not hold up in court. Every
agreement should be written, dated, initialed and saved.
By all means SAVE A COPY OF THE FINAL LEASE signed by you and
the owner or manager. This is the most important document when
it comes to settling an apartment disagreement. You should also
keep a copy of the apartment/rental housing rules (sometimes
called "community policies") for the same purpose.
The Texas Apartment Association suggests you look for the
following things in your lease:
Check to see how much advance notice you must give before moving
at the end of your lease term. A 30-day written notice is normal
when rent is paid monthly. Look for security deposit refund
restrictions. Look for your rental housing owner's obligation to
make needed repairs. A requirement for diligence is common. Be
sure to read any cleaning instructions. Cleaning costs usually
can be deducted from your security deposit if you fail to follow
instructions.
Check on prohibitions against subletting or keeping animals.
Written permission is usually required. Also, there is usually
an extra deposit for animals.
It's amazing how many people will sign documents without
actually understanding or even reading them. Maybe the contract
looked too long, or perhaps the language seemed confusing. It's
okay. The time you spend completely understanding this contract
will only benefit your position as a tenant.