Shaun Hannafin
While there is typically much more room to negotiate when renting a commercial property, even individual tenants securing a rental apartment or home may have some leverage to try to negotiate, depending on the circumstances. Whether you can negotiate lease terms or simply have to decide to accept the terms or walk away, it's still important to understand what is in the lease. A Boston lease lawyer can help you to understand your lease terms and to negotiate the best agreement possible, so contact an attorney today. Here are some of the key clauses that you should look for in your lease.
How long will you be obligated to make payments on the lease and how long will you have the right to remain in your rental unit. Most residential leases are standard one-year leases; however, you may have a 30-day or month-to-month lease arrangement in some circumstances or you and the landlord may decide that you should sign a longer lease.
You'll need to know exactly how much you must pay for the rental unit. Pay attention to the total amount due, as well as when the rent must be paid and whether you have a grace period if you are late or not.
The lease should specify what is included in the rent and what additional costs you may be responsible for. For example, it is common for you to incur extra costs for utilities when you have rented a property as landlords rarely pay for water and electricity.
Landlords typically require a renter to place a security deposit in case the renter fails to fulfill obligations. A security deposit can provide important protection to a landlord, especially in circumstances where tenants cause serious damage to an apartment. However, tenants sometimes have trouble coming up with a security deposit, along with first and last months’ rent which is typically required to get into an apartment.
These are just some of the many potential clauses that could be included in your lease. A Boston lease lawyer can help you to understand your lease terms and to negotiate the best agreement possible, so contact an attorney today.
Attorney Shaun A. Hannafin founded the Law Offices of Shaun A. Hannafin in 2014, and has experience in a variety of legal fields: criminal prosecution, legislative, tax, real estate and corporate law.
