Important Clauses That Can’t Be Overlooked While Signing A Lease
For tenants and landlords, it’s hard to navigate through key sections and provisions. But we are here to make this tiresome job a tempting task for you. This will be helpful for both the parties to resolve their legal matters and concerns during a rental lease agreement. The lease should cover the basic terms of tenancy and some of the major one that can’t be overlooked in any of the case are listed below.
1- Name and Address of Landlord Must Be Acquired
The real headache comes in when everything is done without knowing the authentic landlord’s contact information. Being said that, unnamed parties are not bound by the legal contract. Therefore, do check if the property is owned by the landlord in real who is signing an agreement with you. It would be best if you verified the ownership of the property by getting a complete name, contact information, and address. Some states do not require this. However, in Massachusetts, it is mandatory to have complete contact information to be on the rental apartment lease.
2- Defined Clear Dates Must Be Acknowledged
Every rental document should state the exact move-in and move-out dates. It is a very important part of the tenant’s lease agreement that gives security to both parties. Furthermore, you should be very clear about whether the lease is self-renewing or a fixed annual lease. Either it is a month-to-month lease that sets the rent for 12 12-month period duration, or the date is set after the mutual decision of both parties.
3- Proper Address Must Be Mentioned in Lease
Official communications between both parties must be addressed with the right information. Both tenants and landlords should provide the proper address in the tenants’ lease agreement. This makes each tenant legally responsible for all terms and obligations during their stay on a rental property.
4- Tenants Conduct Must Be Addressed in Lease
This is a very important matter that should not be ignored under any circumstances. Being a good neighbor matters a lot. You should touch up and verify everything from smoking, loud noise, stuff thrown from balcony to deck, litter, or any other stuff in the hallway. If tenants smoke, they must comply with the terms and conditions, can they smoke within the property boundaries? Or what are the substitutes for smoking and many more things like this?
5- Any Claim for Support Animals Must Be Assessed
Most people have a habit of keeping the support animals with them. It is a growing claim by the tenants these days. Nevertheless, if the animal is a pet, then it does not come in the support animal category. In case the tenant claims for a support animal, then he should be responsible for documenting the medical requirements, veteran reports, vaccination, etc., of the animal. He should ensure and be able to prove the veterinary record is updated. No internet documentation should be accepted in this regard.
Note: A service animal supports and assists the owner in bodily function. The rule to accept is mandatory.
6- Subletting the Apartment to Friends/Relatives
Landlords should make it clear to the tenants whether tenants can rent the apartment to another person or not. They should specify in the lease that the rental unit is the residence of tenants only who have signed the agreement. To avoid problems in the future, landlords should do proper screening. If your guest rented the property to a third person, what type of screening did the person go through? How did he manage to rent the friends or a third person? You may keep regular checks on tenants. To be on the safer side, no subletting allowed is a good clause to avoid any future issues.
7- Income Must Be Defined on Lease
The more the income listed on the application, the more beneficial it will be to either of the parties. It is also better to have all adults and folks (18+) while signing the apartment lease contract. It is a valuable step for both parties. Furthermore, landlords should verify the picture ID of each tenant. It can be added as an option to fill out by the lease. You never know when you need this for any of the reasons.
8- Every Right Should Be Clearly Defined in Lease
It should be clearly defined on the lease agreement document that landlords and their agents have the right to enter the apartment. It is better to give 24-hour prior notice through call or writing if possible. However, before that, one must ensure this right is documented in the lease. There must be a communication form in the lease from where you will be able to communicate via the notice, text message, email, or not just a certified letter. Many good habit property managers, like real property managers on South Shore, follow this practice. That’s the reason they are successful in real property management and have a huge list of satisfied clients, be they landlords or tenants. If you want a reliable and trustworthy property manager, then RPM Associates is the right choice for you.
9- Who Will Be the Tenant/ Landlord Representative
It is necessary to mention the name of the tenant and the person to whom you are going to pay the rent. The address to mail the rental needs must be clear and have complete rental information. As you know, electronic payment systems have gained popularity in the last few years. This system manages your property effectively to avoid any confusion between either of the parties. So, it is advised that tenant and landlord representatives be selected to deal with all the matters of a tenancy agreement.
I hope that after reading these clauses, you will keep them in mind. You can save your time by hiring Real Property Management Associates.
For a lease agreement, Call us today at (508)-509-4485!
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