Signing A Lease For An Apartment? Look Out For These Things

Are you going to be signing a lease for an apartment soon, but you've never signed a lease before? If so, it will help to know what kind of things to look out for in the lease. 

Subletting

If you're not sure if you will be staying in the apartment for the entire term of the lease, then you'll want to understand the subletting agreement. Subletting is when the current renter is allowed to rent the apartment to another person. Some apartment buildings allow renters to sublet their apartment, while others do not or have many restrictions over it.

For example, you may be allowed to sublet, but you need to approve the person through your landlord. This means that the person subletting from you needs to go through a background check much like you did when you applied for the apartment. 

Pet Provisions

Even if you do not have a pet with you at the time of renting, it's important to know what the pet provisions are. You may be surprised to learn that there are nonrefundable cleaning fees for having a pet, or that there are limits to what kind of pets you can have. 

Some common restrictions you may see is a limit to how many cats you can have in the apartment, or being limited to certain breeds of dogs. You'll want to make sure that you agree with any pet provisions based on the pet you have or what kind of pet you will want to adopt in the future. 

Quiet Hours

Are there quiet hours that are part of living in the apartment building? These are times where you are not allowed to play loud music and disrupt your neighbors. Some tenants like having quiet hours because it ensures that their neighbors will be quiet during certain times, while others would prefer not to have them and so they don't have to worry about potential fines for violating the rules. 

Access For Showings

At some point you will be leaving your apartment and your landlord will want to show the unit to the next potential renter. Make sure that you understand the terms for having access to your apartment to show it to others. The lease should state how much notice needs to be given to you so that you can have the apartment look presentable, and if the landlord is allowed to show the apartment rental without you being home.