3 Things To Do Before You Sign A Lease

By Danielle Wirsansky on August 27, 2016

Signing a lease is a pretty big deal. You are making a commitment, one that is both financial and legal. It is a big decision and a big step to make as well as an important one.

But it is also a necessary one, especially as you go off to college. When you sign a lease for a property when you go off to college, it is often in a different city from where you already live. It can be hard to get there in person or even visit the property or speak to someone who lives or works there and you might end up signing a lease blind.

This can be daunting, so here are three things you should do before you sign a lease to make sure you are getting exactly what you want and need!

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1. Read the fine print.

Always be sure to read the fine print! You want to know not only exactly what you are agreeing to but also that you are actually getting what you agreed to. Just because you read about a specific thing online or were reassured verbally about another aspect of your agreement does not mean that it is written out in your lease agreement.

And if it is not spelled out in the contract, there is absolutely no guarantee that you will get it, whatever it is. Make sure that no one is pulling a fast one on you! There are basic terms to check, like if the length of the lease matches what you were told and expected. Check to see if your rent is accurate, when it needs to be paid, what utilities are included, and other little details like that that will be incredibly important in the long run.

You do not want to agree to something that is not what you actually want. And it is good to make sure there are no mistakes! Whether these mistakes were made on purpose or by accident, you want to make sure you are getting what you agreed to and are not being gypped.

2. Be aware of community rules.

You can get really tripped up by community rules once you move in if you are not familiar with them ahead of the time that you move in. It is best to read them before you even sign the lease so that you understand and are comfortable with all of the community rules.

Does the property offer 24/7 emergency maintenance in case you are indeed facing an emergency? Parking is another important area to explore — are you assigned a parking spot? Are parking spots limited? If you often have guests, you should understand how guest parking works as well so that your visitors do not end up getting their cars towed away.

Can you make any changes to your apartment, like painting the walls another color or inserting hooks into the wall to hang frames, or even hang flower boxes outside your window? You want to know the answer to those things before you go ahead and try to do them in case you make an infraction.

Pets are also usually important elements. Make sure not only that you can have a pet but what kinds and what limitations there are. Some will allow you to have any pet as long as you pay a fee.

Other places have stricter rules, concerning size, weight and breed. You do not want to bring your dog along for the ride only to realize that having your dog might get you evicted. Get the knowledge beforehand!

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3. Note additional fees.

Paying rent is already a lot of money. So you definitely do not want to get hit with a bunch of surprise additional fees that you were not expecting. Be sure that you are aware of what utilities you are going to be paying for and which ones the property will cover and how that works out. Sometimes, people are surprised by how much their utilities can be when they are not a lump sum, flat payment each month and actually fluctuate based on how you use them!

You want to make sure that your fees are not going to go through the roof (or at least be aware that they will go through the roof) if you blast the AC for too long or take extra long showers.

Is there an application fee just to simply apply to rent an apartment at this property? What kind of late fees are there if you are late with your rent payment? Do you need to pay a fee for a pet? Do you need to pay for a parking permit? Does it cost extra to have washer and dryer units directly in your apartment if that is something that you want?

Just be sure to get the facts so you are not surprised at the last second by your bills lest you become unable to pay them.

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