A written lease protects both sides. Whether you are drafting one or being handed one, these are the points worth reading twice.
The basics
- Who the parties are, and the full address of the unit — including the apartment number.
- The term: start date, end date, and what happens at the end. Does it roll month to month, or does it simply stop?
- The rent: how much, when it is due, how it is paid, and what happens if it is late.
Money
- The deposit: the amount, what it can be used for, and the deadline for returning it. That deadline is set by your state.
- Which utilities the rent includes, and which the tenant sets up in their own name.
- Any other recurring charge — parking, storage, pet rent — stated separately from the rent.
Living there
- Repairs: who does what, how a problem is reported, and how quickly it should be dealt with.
- Access: how much notice the landlord gives before entering, other than in an emergency.
- Guests, subletting, smoking and pets. Note that assistance animals are not pets and cannot be excluded by a no-pets clause.
- Alterations: whether the tenant may paint, mount a TV, or change a lock.
Ending it
- Notice period on both sides, and how notice must be given.
- What happens if the tenant needs to leave early.
- The condition the property should be left in, and how that is assessed.
Photograph everything on move-in day. It is the single most useful thing either party can do, and it resolves most deposit disputes before they start.