What to look out for in a lease.

[badmomma]

There are many things that you should be looking at when you are going to rent an apartment or home. You want it in a nice neighborhood and perhaps in a good school district.

You want to have a nice kitchen and a yard but what you don't want is a lease aggreement that puts your money at risk. You need to know what is legal and what isn't in your state.

"You've got to look out for the red flags." Be on alert if the landlord:

• Doesn't give you a copy of the lease. Rushes you to sign it on the spot. Says about a clause, "Oh, it's just a formality; we don't enforce that." If that's the case, ask the landlord to remove it. Makes an oral agreement but is reluctant to add it to the contract.
• Brushes off your concerns by saying, "It's just a standard agreement." As Kellman says, "'Standard contract' is a made-up phrase."

When you do review the document, make note of any clauses that seem troubling or confusing and seek help from a tenants association.

You are stuck with the terms of the lease that you sign and won't be able to move until this contract ends unless you go to court which means you have to come up with a large sum of money.

Protect yourself,ask questions,don't take their word for it. Review the document before you sign it and if you are unsure get help. I hope this information will be helpful to you. I hate to see people get runover by greedy selfish landlords.

[homealone]

Any time your about to sign something, if you see something you don't like or don't understand you shouldn't sign it plain and simple.

Then get someone to look it over that is going to understand it all and have them explain it to you, or turn to the internet to get the answers and explainations that your looking for.

I am honestly surprised at how often people jump the gun and sign something with out reading and understanding it. They often come to regret their actions.

It is sad that you just can't simply trust people like you could years ago, but today that is something that no one can do. You always have to look out for yourself.