How to read a lease before you sign it

Nobody reads the whole lease. That is fine — most of it is boilerplate. But a small number of clauses cause nearly all the arguments that follow, and they are easy to find.

1. What ending the lease early costs

Look for early termination, break clause, or liquidated damages. You are looking for a specific number or formula. If the clause says you remain liable for rent until the unit is re-let, you want to know whether the landlord is obliged to try.

Vague language here is the single most expensive thing in most leases.

2. How the deposit comes back

Two things matter: the deadline for returning it, and what can be deducted. “Normal wear and tear” is standard and usually excluded from deductions — but some leases define cleaning, repainting or carpet replacement as tenant costs regardless of condition.

Photograph everything on move-in day, timestamped, and email the photos to the landlord so there is a dated record on both sides.

3. What happens at the end of the term

Leases either roll over month-to-month, renew automatically for another full term, or end. Automatic renewal clauses often require notice 60 or 90 days in advance — before you would naturally be thinking about it.

Put that notice deadline in your calendar the day you sign.

4. Who pays for what repair

Look for a dollar threshold. Many leases make tenants responsible for repairs under a certain amount. Check whether that applies per incident or in total, and whether appliances are included.

5. Entry rights

Your landlord’s right to enter, and how much notice is required. Standard is 24 hours’ written notice except in emergencies. A clause permitting entry “at reasonable times” without defined notice is worth negotiating.

Two things worth asking before you sign

• Is anything in the listing not in the lease? Verbal promises — parking, a repaired fixture, permission for a pet — are not enforceable unless written in.
• Can I get the changes in the document itself? An emailed “yes, that’s fine” is better than nothing, but an amended clause is better.

Ten minutes on these five points removes most of the ways a tenancy goes wrong.