What Questions Do You Ask Before Signing A New Lease?

It’s easy to get excited when you’ve found the perfect place to rent, but you don’t want to lose your head before signing the lease. Home blog Apartment Therapy suggests 10 questions to ask before signing, and we want to know yours.

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Many rental leases are pretty standard and straightforward, but there are still a few details you want to make sure you don’t overlook. Apartment Therapy’s list of 10 things to make sure you talk about with your landlord before committing to year-long living arrangement includes suggestions like knowing who’s responsible for making sure the lawn and garden are maintained. What happens if a nasty fungus threatens to overrun the hydrangeas — who pays for treatment? Be sure to find out ahead of time.

You may also be able to negotiate a few things with the property owner ahead of time, like paint colour and carpet replacement. One of our favourite tips involves how to get a better deal when your landlord wants to raise the rent because you have a pet.

Our new landlord wanted an extra $US50/month in order to have our cat. We negotiated and put down a deposit instead. This way when we move out, if there’s no pet damage, we’ll get money back instead [losing the $US50/month]to rent.

Hit up the post for more things you need to ask before signing a rental agreement. It’s helpful advice, though none of it’s particularly mind-blowing, so we’re wondering: What questions do you ask before signing a new lease? Ever done any pre-lease negotiating before moving into a new place? Let’s hear it in the comments.

10 Questions to Ask Before You Sign a Lease [Apartment Therapy]