8 Mistakes Tenants Make When Signing a

Rental Agreement

The most tricky part is yet to comeIf you find a perfect home for rent and it seems like the most difficult part is done, we are forced to reassure you.

You might think that signing a rental lease is nothing but a pure formalityHowever, the majority of tenants’ mistakes are made exactly at this stage of a rental process.

Ready to arm yourself with knowledge?

Mistake 1: Making a verbal contractIt’s better to be safe than sorry. While there is nothing wrong with trusting people, relationship that entails money requires documentation. Some tenants don’t like to keep on their promises, and you should not become a victim of one’s irresponsibility.

SolutionKeep all points you discuss with a landlord in a written form. If he promises to buy a new fridge or fix a leaking tap, make sure it is mentioned in a contract. Don’t be a ‘handshake tenant’, who naively believes that all the promises your landlord makes will be kept.

Mistake 2: Not reading your rental agreementReading a rental agreement before signing it is a must. If you fail to do so, get ready for surprises and keep in mind that some of them won’t be pleasant.

SolutionRead your contract carefully. Yes, sometimes solutions are as simple as that.

Mistake 3: Not asking for the changes to the rental agreement on timeIf some points of your rental agreement do not seem to correlate with your habits and lifestyle, you will regret not speaking the truth. A lot of tenants feel uncomfortable and shy when it comes to negotiations with a future landlord. You should not be like that.

SolutionThere is nothing wrong with negotiations. Any rental agreement should be a result of a compromise. Be honest if you are not comfortable with some points of your contract. You pay money for that, so it is ok to strive for the best conditions.

Mistake 4: Not requesting the copies of documentsWe cannot stress enough the importance of keeping the copies of your rental agreement and move-in checklist. Basically, this is the only proof of what rights you have and how the property looked like when you moved in. Without the documents, it will be hard to find a proof should any issues occur.

SolutionThe best solution is to keep a digital copy of all documents. This way, they’ll never get lost. With Rentberry, you can have no worries on this matter. We keep all documents for you so that you can access them at any time.

Mistake 5: Not asking questions when something is not clearIt is in your best interest to clarify everything that is not clear before leaving your signature. Failure to do so might cost you money, time, and effort later on.

SolutionTake time to come up with a list of questions to clarify everything that sounds vague and unclear. Make sure to discuss each point with your landlord prior to signing a rental lease.

Mistake 6: Not sharing the contactsYou are not obliged, but strongly encouraged to share the contacts of your previous landlord and current employer. Otherwise, your landlord might take a dim view of you. When you avoid providing these contacts, it seems like you have something to hide. And, frankly speaking, it does not add you neither credibility nor trustworthiness.

SolutionEven if you don’t think that your former landlord has a lot of good things to tell about you, you should still provide the contacts. If you share them freely, your landlord considers it a positive sign itself.

Mistake 7: Concealing past evictionsThe truth will out anyway. If you fail to reveal the fact yourself, chances are that your landlord will think you are not honest with them. Once again, things like that don’t make you look any better.

SolutionBe honest, and your landlord will sure appreciate that. So goes the world that sometimes bad things happen to good people. Your goal is to lead your landlord to this conclusion.

Mistake 8: Not inspecting the condition of a homeThere is nothing wrong with feeling excited, but don't forget to keep eyes open. Sometimes tenants feel so happy about finding a perfect home that they forget to look if there are any damages. As a result, they fail to mention them in a move-in checklist, which results in a trouble when they move out and want their security deposits back.

SolutionStay alert and pay attention to everything that looks damaged or broken. When something like that is detected, make sure to mention it in your move-in checklist.

Good news!Now you are ready to sign your rental agreement. Armed with knowledge, you will avoid all typical mistakes tenants make.

Want to learn more? Enjoy the whole article on Rentberry’s blog.

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