Before You Sign A Lease, Check These 12 Terms And Fees In Your Rental Agreement

A lease looks like a stack of boring pages, but it is the contract that decides what you pay, who fixes what, and how you can leave. Most renters sign it in a hurry because the keys are waiting.

A bright apartment living room with a large window.

Slow down. Before you apply, the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer advice article “Tenant Background Checks and Your Rights” (2024) suggests asking what information the landlord uses to decide whether to rent to you before you pay an application or background check fee.

For the lease itself, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook: Lease Requirements (December 2020) spells out what a lease should cover. Its rules apply to public housing authorities, not private landlords, and landlord-tenant law depends on your state. Still, its list is a handy map of the 12 terms worth finding in any rental agreement.

Check The Lease Length And How It Renews

HUD’s guidebook says a public housing lease names the housing authority and the head of household, identifies the unit’s address, and runs for an initial term of 12 months that renews automatically for 12-month terms. Month-to-month leases are not allowed in public housing under those rules.

Your private lease may work differently. Find the start date, the end date, and what happens when the term runs out.

Know Who Is Allowed To Live In The Home

According to HUD, tenants in public housing must get approval before adding anyone to the household other than through birth, adoption, or court-awarded custody. Unapproved occupants count as a lease violation.

The lesson applies everywhere. If a grandchild or a friend will be moving in, ask before they arrive.

Confirm The Monthly Rent In Writing

HUD’s guidebook says the lease states the full monthly rent and any prorated amount for a partial month. It adds that rent may change under HUD requirements.

Look for the exact amount, the due date, and how and where to pay. If you move in mid-month, check that the first partial payment is spelled out.

See Which Utilities The Landlord Pays And Which You Pay

The guidebook says the lease must list which utilities and appliances the housing authority provides at no cost and which the tenant pays. The same question belongs on any lease you read.

Heat, water, trash and electricity can change your true monthly cost a lot. Get the list in writing.

Read The Security Deposit Terms Closely

According to HUD, a public housing deposit cannot exceed one month’s rent or a reasonable fixed amount set by the authority, and if one is required it must be listed in the lease. Interest is returned at move-out, subject to state and local law.

Private deposit rules are set by your state. Look up your state’s limit and return deadline, then match them to the lease.

Look For Late Fees And Other Charges

The guidebook lists allowable charges such as late payment penalties and maintenance or repair charges for damage beyond normal wear and tear. HUD says charges are not due until two weeks after written notice.

Find every fee in the agreement before you sign. Ask what triggers each one and how much notice you get.

Learn Who Handles Repairs And Seasonal Chores

HUD says tenants may be required to perform customary seasonal tasks, such as raking leaves or shoveling snow, if the lease says so. The guidebook also says housing authorities cannot shift their own maintenance responsibilities to tenants.

Ask who fixes the furnace, the faucet and the roof. Then look for the lease language that backs the answer.

Find Out When The Landlord Can Walk In

The guidebook says the housing authority must give at least two days’ notice before entry, except in emergencies, for purposes such as routine inspections, repairs and showing the unit. If no adult is home, staff must leave a notice with the date, time and purpose.

Look for an entry clause in your own lease and check the notice period. Your state may set its own.

Check The Rules On Pets

HUD says that in elderly or disabled developments with pet rules, those rules become part of the lease, and violations can lead to pet removal, lease termination, or both. Where no pet rules exist, common household pets cannot be prohibited, subject to state and local law.

Ask about pet fees, size limits and breed rules up front. Get the answer on paper.

Understand The Guest And Subletting Limits

According to the guidebook, tenants have exclusive use of the unit, including reasonable visits by guests, and the housing authority may set limits on the number of guests, how often they visit, and how long they stay. Tenants may not sublet or assign the lease.

If family stays for weeks at a time, make sure the lease allows it. Otherwise a long visit could cause trouble.

Learn The Notice Periods For Ending The Lease

HUD’s guidebook gives 14 days’ notice for failure to pay rent in public housing, and 30 days for other cases unless state or local law sets a shorter period. Notices must state the specific grounds and the tenant’s right to respond.

Your state controls these timelines for private rentals. Find them before a problem comes up, not after.

Ask About Lead Paint In Older Buildings

The guidebook says that for housing built before 1978, with some exemptions, the housing authority must disclose known lead hazards, provide the EPA pamphlet and available records, and include a signed Lead Disclosure Addendum.

If the building is older, ask for the paperwork. Then keep your copy with your lease.

One more tip from the FTC: if a landlord turns you down or offers worse terms because of a screening report, federal law gives you the right to an adverse action notice and a free copy of the report.

Willow and Hearth