How to Learn the Terms of Renting a House or Apartment
Signing a rental lease for a house or apartment is a significant legal commitment. If you're unsure of what you're signing up for, you could encounter costly surprises in the future and find that you're legally bound by the lease terms for several months. To make sure you know what you're getting into, you must get the terms in writing and read them thoroughly, seeking out all the help you need to fully understand the entire rental lease.
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Instructions
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Contact the Realtor or landlord who is renting the property you're interested in. Rental terms vary from one renter or property to another, so you must repeat this process for every property you're interested in.
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Request a written copy of the lease for the house or apartment you want to learn about. Some Realtors or landlords may want to pre-qualify you with a few basic questions before sending you a copy of the lease, but non-discrimination laws restrict the permissible content of their questions; if they ask any questions, they should pertain to legal eligibility requirements that are outlined in the lease. Depending on the office equipment available to the Realtor or landlord, they may ask that you accept a copy of the lease via email, postal mail or fax. They may also ask you to come pick it up in person.
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Read the lease in its entirety. Most rental leases describe the terms in fairly straightforward language. However, you should keep a highlighter handy as you read so that you can highlight any sections that are unclear to you. Rental leases must include all of the details important to both the property owner and the renter and they serve to protect both parties.
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Look up words that you don't understand in a legal glossary. Rental leases often contain words that aren't often used in everyday conversation, such as "lessor" (the person renting out the property) and "lessee" (the person renting the property). A link to an online legal glossary can be found in the Resources section.
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Consult an online resource for free legal advice if you still have questions about certain aspects of the lease (see Resources). You can also take the lease to a real estate attorney in your area and ask to have it broken down for you, but you will likely be asked to pay a small fee for this service. Another option is to contact the Realtor or landlord directly with your questions, but if you are concerned about whether or not you will get objective advice, that may not be the best source of information.
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