Lease Topics
In-depth guides on every major aspect of residential and commercial leases — written in plain English for tenants.
- How to Break a Lease Early (Without Losing Everything) The lawful routes out of a lease early, how these are commonly negotiated with a landlord, and what it will a...
- Understanding CAM Charges in Commercial Leases What are CAM charges, how are they calculated, what to negotiate, and how to avoid being overcharged...
- Security Deposits: What Landlords Can and Can't Deduct Your complete guide to security deposits — how much they can be, what landlords can deduct, and how ...
- Holdover Tenancy: What Happens When You Stay Past Your Lease What is holdover tenancy, what does your landlord owe you, and what are the financial risks of stayi...
- How Leases Are Commonly Negotiated: A Step-by-Step Guide A complete guide to negotiating your lease — from researching the market to the key clauses every te...
- Subletting Your Rental: How to Do It Without Getting Sued How to legally sublet your rental or commercial space, get landlord approval, protect yourself legal...
- Triple-Net Leases (NNN): What You Pay Beyond the Base Rent A complete guide to NNN leases — what you pay beyond base rent, how NNN terms are commonly negotiated, and what...
- Lease Assignment: What Happens to Your Lease When You Sell Your Business How lease assignment works in business acquisitions, what landlord consent requirements mean for you...
- Habitability: Your Landlord's Legal Duty to Maintain Your Rental What habitability means legally, what your landlord must maintain, and what to do when they don't — ...
- Auto-Renewal Clauses: The Lease Trap That Costs Tenants Thousands How auto-renewal clauses work, what happens when you miss the notice window, and how to avoid being ...
- 10 Red Flags in Commercial Leases That Should Make You Nervous The 10 commercial lease clauses and practices that signal a problem — and what to do when you find t...
- Tenant Improvement Allowances: Getting the Most From Your Landlord What TI allowances are, how they're structured, what to negotiate, and how to avoid TI clawback trap...
- Landlord Entry Rights: When Can Your Landlord Come In? What notice landlords must give before entering your rental, what rights you have, and what to do wh...
- Attorney Fees in Leases: Who Pays When There's a Dispute? How attorney fee provisions work in leases, why one-sided clauses are dangerous, and how to negotiat...
- Can Your LLC Protect You From a Commercial Lease? What You Need to Know How LLCs protect (and don't protect) business owners who sign commercial leases, and what additional...
- Lease Dispute Resolution: Mediation, Arbitration, or Court? Understanding the dispute resolution options in your lease — what each means for your rights, costs,...
- Lease Renewal Options: How to Lock In Your Right to Stay Everything about lease renewal options — how they work, how to negotiate favorable terms, and critic...
- Exclusivity Clauses: Protecting Your Business From Direct Competition How exclusivity clauses work in retail leases, what protections they provide, and how to negotiate a...
- Force Majeure in Leases: Does a Pandemic (or Disaster) Let You Out? What force majeure clauses mean in leases, what they cover (and don't), and what happened to commerc...
- Security Deposit Interest: States That Require Landlords to Pay You Which states require landlords to pay interest on security deposits, how the interest is calculated,...
- Franchise Lease Issues: What Franchisees Need to Know Before Signing The unique lease issues facing franchisees — from assignment restrictions to franchise-required buil...
- Lead Paint, Mold, and Other Rental Hazards: Your Rights as a Tenant What federal and state law requires landlords to disclose about lead paint, mold, and other hazards ...
- Rent Control: Which Tenants Are Protected and Which Aren't A comprehensive guide to rent control in the US — which states and cities have it, who's covered, wh...
- The Lease Checklist: What to Review Before You Sign A point-by-point checklist covering the money, exit, liability, and dispute terms that quietly cost t...
- The Apartment Lease Checklist: What to Check Before You Sign A residential checklist covering deposits, fees, pets, roommates, habitability, and the clauses that ...
- The Move-Out Checklist: How to Get Your Deposit Back What to clean, document, and put in writing on move-out to recover your full security deposit and dis...
- Roommate Agreement Checklist What to settle in writing before sharing a rental — rent and deposit splits, joint-and-several liabil...
- Student Housing Lease Checklist What students should check before signing off-campus — by-the-bed vs joint leases, co-signer terms, a...
- Co-Signer & Guarantor Checklist What you're agreeing to before co-signing a lease — scope, joint-and-several liability, duration, and...
- Sublease Checklist: What to Confirm Before You Sublet Your Apartment The sublet clause, written landlord consent, screening the subtenant, rent and deposit terms, and why the original tenant stays liable.
- Lease Renewal Checklist: What to Review Before Your Lease Renews The notice deadline, automatic renewal terms, rent increases at renewal, clauses that carry forward, and what happens if you stay past the end date.
- The Move-In Checklist: Your Best Protection Against Deposit Disputes How to create a thorough move-in checklist, what to document, and how this single step protects thou...
- Late Fees in Leases: How Much Is Too Much? What late fees landlords can charge, state-by-state limits, and what to do if you're charged an ille...
- New Apartment Fees in South Carolina's Fastest-Growing Suburbs What 17 new-construction communities in Summerville, Ladson, Blythewood, and Columbia, SC actually d...
- First-Time Renter's Guide: What You Need to Know Before Signing Everything a first-time renter needs to know — from apartment hunting to lease signing to getting yo...
- Commercial Lease Glossary: 50 Terms Every Tenant Should Know A plain-English glossary of the 50 most important commercial lease terms — from base rent to subordi...
- What Is LiabilityScore™ and How Does It Score Your Lease? How LiabilityScore™ works, what a score of 0-100 means for your lease, and how to use your score to ...
- Parking in Commercial Leases: More Than Just a Convenience How parking is handled in commercial leases, what to negotiate, and how inadequate parking provision...
- Signage Rights in Commercial Leases: Getting the Visibility You Need How signage rights work in commercial leases, what restrictions to look for, and how they are commonly negotiated s...
- Restaurant Leases: The Special Issues Every Food & Beverage Tenant Faces The unique lease issues for restaurant and food service businesses — from hood requirements to greas...
- Office Lease Guide: Everything Tech Companies and Startups Need to Know The office lease guide for growing companies — flexible terms, subletting rights, TI allowances, and...
- Industrial and Warehouse Lease Guide: What Logistics Tenants Need to Know The complete guide to industrial and warehouse leases — clear heights, loading docks, HVAC provision...
- Alternatives to Personal Guaranty: How to Limit Your Personal Exposure Creative alternatives to unlimited personal guaranty — from letters of credit to burn-down provision...
- Lease Default and Eviction: What Happens and What Are Your Rights What constitutes a lease default, how the eviction process works, and what rights you have as a tena...
- Short-Term Rentals and Your Lease: What You Need to Know Before Listing on Airbnb Can you list your rental on Airbnb? What lease clauses prohibit it, what penalties you face, and how...
- Types of Commercial Leases: Gross, Net, Modified Gross, and More A complete guide to commercial lease types — what each structure means for your costs, risks, and wh...
- Estoppel Certificates: What They Are and When to Worry What is an estoppel certificate, when landlords require them, and what to review carefully before si...
- Key-Man Clauses in Business Leases: What Happens When the Boss Leaves What a key-man clause does in a commercial lease, when it matters, and how it is commonly negotiated in a busi...
- ADA Accessibility and Your Commercial Lease: Who Pays for Compliance? Who is responsible for ADA accessibility in commercial leases, what the law requires, and how to all...
- Month-to-Month Leases: Flexibility vs. Security Trade-offs Everything about month-to-month leases — the flexibility they provide, the security you sacrifice, a...
- The Key Differences Between Commercial and Residential Leases The most important differences between commercial and residential leases — consumer protections, neg...
- SNDA Agreements: Protecting Your Lease in a Foreclosure What an SNDA agreement is, why it matters in commercial leases, and how to protect your tenancy in c...
- Renters Insurance: What You Need and What Your Lease Requires Everything about renters insurance — what it covers, how much you need, what commercial leases requi...
- Lease Assignment and Transfer: What Happens to Your Lease When Your Situation Changes Understand lease assignment rules, how to transfer your lease when selling a business, and what land...