A lease will typically include the following information:

• The lease will show contact information for the landlord and tenant so one can be reached by the other if they need to.
• The address of the rented place is on the lease plus a description of whether it’s a house, apartment, or a castle room where all your neighbors are cross-dressing aliens.
• The lease shows a list of included furniture, appliances, amenities like a washer and dryer.
• Parking! Do you get a parking spot on the street? Or, are you allowed to rent your assigned parking spot to other people? And if you see people parking in your spot, can you tow them with a sadistic smile?
• Will you be allowed to start that new online Weenie Baby business from your apartment? Some landlords allow you to run a business from your rented house or apartment.
• Do you have freeloader friends? The lease will say how many guests can stay in the rented place and how long they can stay for.
• COUGH! If you are a smoker, you need to see if smoking is allowed in the lease.
• WOOF! Are pets allowed? You may think your precious cat or poodle deserves to live with you, but if your landlord can’t deal with loud and smelly animals, either find a new place or get use to sleeping on the curb with a wet dog.
• The lease shows its start date, which is when you can move in. The lease should also say whether there will be an inspection before move-in, so you can see exactly how many cockroaches will be your new roommates.
• How does the lease end? The lease may go on until the tenant or landlord decides the relationship is over. Maybe the lease is for a set time period (like a year) or only applies from month to month (like a periodic agreement). The lease should say whether you can renew the lease if you’re getting cozy in your new home.
• RENT!!! The lease will say how much money you will pay each month for rent. It will also tell you if you need to pay any up front rent money (like first month’s rent). Will the rent increase? What happens if I don’t pay the rent (default on paying)? Are there late fees for late payments? The lease should mention this. If it doesn’t, ask the landlord to include the consequences.
• How much is the security deposit for your rented place? Plus, the lease should say how you can get it back at the end of your lease.
• How are utilities handled? What do you have to pay for (gas, electric, cable, etc.)? Will you have to set up utilities on your own, and do you need to notify the landlord?
• “improve” the property. (Translation: That wall carpet may look awesome to you but it may not be kosher to your landlord.)
• If the landlord needs to go into your house or apartment to make repairs, the lease will say how much advance notice the landlord has to give. Don’t want the landlord to bust in on you in your undies, now.
• The lease will show any additional information like how the place is maintained (does a snow plow come or do you have to shovel the white stuff yourself?), what insurance you need, and if lead paint is still on the walls. (Lead paint is delicious, by the way.)

If you strongly disagree with any information on the lease, ask the landlord to either black it out with pen or write it in. Remember, the lease is visible proof of the agreement between you and your landlord, so any changes to it should be in writing so there are no questions about what is and isn’t allowed.  PRO TIP: Make sure both you and your landlord initial all hand written changes to a lease document.

When you both agree that the lease is good, you and the landlord will both sign it. You can bring a friend along to witness it if you want, but the signature on the page is usually proof enough that you both clearly understood the lease.

When you have both signed, the landlord will stick out his or her hand and say, “Pay up!” Wait, what?