What does it mean to sign an apartment lease?

Lease agreements are widely used, as 43 million households rent and 37 percent reside in apartments in the U.S. Signing an apartment lease means you’re agreeing to certain terms for renting a place, including the length of your lease and the amount of rent.

What to expect when you get a lease for an apartment?

If your rental application gets approved, then you’ll sign the lease. Everyone living in the apartment will have to be present to sign the lease, and the co-signer will need to sign their own agreement, as well. The lease covers expectations of the term, which is usually a year.

Where does the signing of a lease take place?

The Lease Signing Process. Lease signing can take place in person or be completed online before you move into a new unit. If you sign the lease with your landlord or property manager present, they should go over all the important terms with you. Make sure you ask questions and understand these parts of the lease.

What’s the best way to read a lease?

Reading a lease can be befuddling, and often the first impulse is to just go ahead and sign the thing, rather than try to wade through and decipher all the legal language. Don’t.

When do you sign a lease on an apartment?

You wouldn’t sign the rental contract without documenting the pre-existing damage. An apartment is no different: Don’t sign the lease until you’re satisfied the property is in good shape inside and out. Most home buyers hire a professional to do a home inspection before closing, but this never occurs to many renters.

Reading a lease can be befuddling, and often the first impulse is to just go ahead and sign the thing, rather than try to wade through and decipher all the legal language. Don’t.

Where can I rent an apartment in reading?

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Who is liable for rent after you sign a lease?

That should be you, your spouse, roommates and your landlord. Anyone whose name doesn’t appear on the document isn’t legally liable for rent. For instance, if you take on a new roommate after the lease has been signed, you may want to ask the landlord to issue a new one.

Can You sublet an apartment after you sign a lease?

In this arrangement you will find another tenant to live in the apartment for the remainder of your lease term. The person subletting from you will either pay you rent, which you remit to the landlord, or will pay the landlord directly. Check your lease agreement to see if it allows you to sublet.

Do you need an attorney to sign an apartment lease?

Goldman advises tenants, if not using a real estate agent, to consult an attorney before signing if they don’t understand the terms of the lease. Be sure to keep a copy of all the paperwork that you and the landlord sign as they are official documents. Many apartment complexes offer the option of signing the lease through the property’s website.

How does a landlord get a tenant to sign a lease?

If you mail a lease agreement, some managers might require the tenant to have the signature notarized. Alternatively, a lease might get emailed or texted to a tenant, the tenant can print out the lease, sign it, and then send it back to the manager or owner. Who signs the lease?

What happens if you change your mind about renting an apartment?

You just signed a lease to rent a new apartment, but the next day change your mind for whatever reason. That can pose problems, because you have just signed a binding agreement that won’t be easy to get out of unless you have “just cause,” or the landlord is amenable.