Tenant Lease terms and conditions.
As a Tenant you have certain rules, laws and rights in a lease and you always need to make sure that you read through any lease materials that you sign. A lease document is a contract between you and your Landlord and is also an agreement to fullfil all its terms and conditions set forth. Here are just a few items to always make sure to review and understand before signing any legal contracts.
1: Make sure that the rental values is identified and written out clearly.
2: Make sure the term of the lease is identified and written out clearly both with a starting and ending date.
3: Review the address of the rental property is noted and correct. If an address is incorrect it can cause the lease to be void and not enforceable.
4: Review any and all special terms or conditions implemented into the lease and ask questions if you are not sure what is expected as to these terms. (Ie: maintenance of the property and who is responsible for what.)
5: Verify what utilities are the Tenants responsibilities vs what ones are the Landlords.
6: Review the “break” terms and what is required of you as a Tenant in the event you have to break the Lease prior to it’s expiration date. Normally there will be a set period of time you will need to give as notice and a fee established in the lease for any early terminations.
7: Review the rules and regulations as to use of the the property. Most residential property is restricted to its use and if you are running a business from your residence you may need a commercial rental vs a residential one. Always communicate your needs and use prior to making any lease commitments.
8: Make sure to sign all areas noted within the lease. If signatures are missing this can cause a Lease to be void or changes can be made and by making sure to have signed all noted areas this avoids these type of situations from occurring.
9: Keep in mind with all Lease (legal documents) time is of the essence so it is in your interest to make sure to get back your signed lease to the Landlord at your earliest convenience (24-48 hrs) as until this happens the lease is open to be modified, changed or even cancelled on behalf of the Landlord. Only when the Lease is signed an copies have been secured by all parties is this an enforceable contract.
These are just a few of the many aspects of a Lease to make sure to be familiar with and when in doubt always ask the Landlord/Property Manager or agent to clarify before signing any legal documents.
Stay tuned for additional postings on this topic and many others in the weeks/months to come.
Also, if you have a topic or question(s) as a Landlord or Tenant you would like to ask feel free to send us a response and we will do our best to address it in one of our future Blogs.
