Dear GirlLegal: I’ve had to downsize recently, and just found an apartment. Now that I’m renting, I’m not to sure what the lease should say. Can you please help?

Dear James from N.V.: Finding yourself in this new situation can be challenging, and I hope the following information helps you. For starters, the lease is an agreement between the landlord and the tenant for renting a property. The lease can be oral (spoken) or in writing. If the tenant does not have a written lease, he/she has an oral lease.

In either situation, the lease should at least tell: 1 ) who is the tenant and who is the landlord; 2) the location being rented; 3) the amount of rent due; 4) the length of time that the property is being rented (month-to-month or year-to-year): and 5) who pays the utilities. The tenant must make sure that all blanks are filled in or crossed out of the lease and that all changes are made before signing.

The lease sets forth the obligation which the tenant owes to the landlord and the obligation which the landlord owes to the tenant. NEVER SIGN ANY LEASE BEFORE READING IT CAREFULLY. If the tenant has a written lease, every agreement between the tenant and the landlord must be put in the lease, including any promises by the landlord to make repairs. Always ask for and get a copy of the lease.

Thanks for visiting GirlLegal.com - I strive to respond to all questions as a  free service to the internet community on an ongoing basis. The intent is to provide answers that are both practical and useful. Feel free to ask questions and link back to this website.

Copyright (c)2010 by Zihriah Inc. Thank you for your interest in GirlLegal.com. We do not allow republication of our full newsletters and articles. However, you can post a portion (no more than 90 words, 1-2 paragraphs) of our content with a live link back to our homepage (http://www.GirlLegal.com) or a link to the specific article you are quoting from.

tags: , , , , , , ,


About GirlLegal.com | Contact Us | Submit a Link | Conditions Of Use | Privacy Policy

LEGAL NOTICE - The information provided by GirlLegal.com is 'AS IS' without any warranty of any kind. This site is for information only, it does not constitute legal advice, or advice of any kind.
GirlLegal.com is not your lawyer. Even though GirlLegal.com and SIE Investments LLC has owners and managers who are attorneys, the Company does not practice law. You should not infer sponsorship, endorsement, or approval by GirlLegal.com of any content you find on this site.
GirlLegal.com may also contain content provided by other people, which GirlLegal.com may not have reviewed, and for which GirlLegal.com is not responsible. GirlLegal.com does not have control over this content, or for the content found on any site linked to or through it.
Your use of this site also constitutes agreement with the additional terms and conditions. See also the GirlLegal.com Privacy Policy.
GirlLegal.com® and GirlLegal.com® design, logo and brandname are registered trademarks with all rights reserved.
All website contents under Copyright © 2008 GirlLegal.com, SIE Investments LLC. All rights reserved.
GirlLegal.com® design and logo created by Nathan Carter. GirlLegal.com website designed and created by WestKYDesigns.


GirlLegal uses industry standard encryption to protect the confidentiality of your personal information.