Guides

Lease agreement red flags to check before you sign

Most tenants skim the lease and sign. The expensive surprises hide in a handful of clauses: renewal, deposit, repairs and leaving early. Here is what to look for, or upload your lease and we will mark them for you.

The clauses that cost tenants the most

1. Automatic renewal with a long notice window. "Renews for 12 months unless terminated 90 days before the end" means a missed date costs you a year of rent.
2. Vague deposit deductions. Watch for "costs the landlord considers necessary". Ask for an itemised list with receipts, a deadline for returning the deposit and an exclusion for normal wear and tear.
3. Repairs shifted to the tenant. Boilers, plumbing, wiring and structural repairs are normally the landlord's job. Small upkeep can be yours, but a clause that says "all repairs" is a red flag.
4. Early-termination penalties. Paying rent until the end of the term, or a fixed fee of several months, when you need to leave for work or family reasons.
5. Rent increases at the landlord's discretion. Look for a fixed index or cap. "As notified by the landlord" is not one.
6. Entry without notice. The landlord should give reasonable notice (often 24 hours) except in emergencies.
7. Utilities and building charges with no breakdown. Know which bills are yours and how shared costs are split.
8. Bans that matter to you: pets, guests, working from home, subletting, registering your address.
9. Liability for things you can't control, such as damage from neighbours or building defects.
10. Inventory and condition report missing. Without a dated list with photos, any mark can be blamed on you at move-out.
11. Unequal notice periods. You must give 3 months, the landlord 1.
12. Payment by cash only, or into a personal account in another name. Insist on traceable payments and receipts.

Before you sign

Ask for every change in writing and make sure it ends up in the signed copy. Take dated photos of every room on move-in day and email them to the landlord, so there is a record.

Questions