Apartment Leases

Every individual state has its own laws about rental leases, but in general, you should know that when you've signed a lease as a tenant, you are bound to the terms of it so long as you continue to rent from the landlord for the duration of the lease term. Most leases last for a specific timeframe, whether it's six months, a year, or longer. The length of the lease is usually determined by the landlord and will vary depending on where you rent. Typically, larger property management companies are more flexible with lengths of leases but even this can vary widely depending on the area.

Important Components of Apartment Leases

There are several important components to a lease that's signed for a rental property, and these include:

• Length of the Lease: When the lease begins and when it ends.
• Rent Amount: It specifies a rent amount to be paid per month (or week, depending on the terms), and will break down any additional fees to be paid, including landscaping, pet fees, etc.
• Property Location and Landlord: It will spell out the location of the property you're renting, as well as the address of your landlord or property management company.
• Utilities: It will specify who is responsible for paying utilities, including water, sewer, electricity, and gas/oil.

Basic Dos and Don'ts

Most of the rest of the lease will spell out exactly what you can and can not do as a tenant, and these will vary widely depending on the landlord and the area where you're living. Some rentals, for instance, may have the tenant be responsible for yard work and landscaping as well as snow removal, or it will say if the landlord takes care of these services. Some landlords will not allow you to alter the outdoors, such as if you wanted to have a garden or use lawn furniture. Some landlords don't allow for it, and all of these rules will be spelled out clearly in your lease.

What If Rules Aren't Spelled Out Clearly?

Some things may not be mentioned in the lease. If this happens, it's always best to ask the landlord first if you can't find anything in the lease about it. However, these documents are typically drawn up with a legal authority as a resource, so chances are, most everything you can think of is covered in the lease terms.

Common Lengths of Leases

Some common time frames for typical rental leases include:

• 6 months
• 12 months
• 24 months
• Month-to-month: This means you pay rent each month, but you're not bound to an extended lease term. Whenever you need to move out, you typically provide 30 days notice, and then you are free to move out the following month. This is a good option for people who move around frequently or who need a short-term place for just a few months while they secure more long-term plans.

Top 5 Routes for "Apartment Leases"

1. TheSpruce This website provides a wealth of information about rental leases for both tenants and landlords. They publish general articles about home/family as well, but their content about rentals in particular is plentiful.
2. TheLPA.com This page provides comprehensive resources for landlords and tenants and includes laws for each state that are important for both tenants and landlords to know.
3. ApartmentSearch.com While this is primarily a site to search for available rental properties, it also provides helpful blog articles and information about renting, including what's important for renters and property managers to know.
4. The blog of Rent.com While rent.com is primarily a site for searching for properties, this blog is extraordinarily helpful for renters, as there's several blog articles on different topics related to renting that will help assist you from the initial lease signing throughout the renting process.
5. HowStuffWorks.com In this home section of the popular howstuffworks.com website, their knowledgeable team of writers explain important details related to renting property, and explain in clear terms exactly what is most important about a lease.