Tenants: Don't Sign That Lease!

...unless you are satisfied with the condition of the home or apartment.

I represented a landlord who was renting his furnished apartment. We received a call from prospective tenants who  were in a big hurry to find something. So much so, that they furnished their credit report prior to seeing the apartment, brought bank checks for the security and first months rent, and asked for the lease to be prepared in case they liked the home.

When we all met at the apartment, they were very happy, signed the lease, and delivered the checks to my client. They even breathed a sigh of relief that the apartment was as nice as they thought it would be, based upon the pictures that they saw on the internet.  Later that day, they even commented about how they liked the decor.

A  few days later, the tenant called, and said they were not happy with the condition of the apartment. Mind you , the lease was signed, and money exchanged hands. They "formally" accepted the apartment when they signed the lease, and paid monies to the Landlord.

What I must say to you is that no matter how much of a hurry you are in to move into an apartment, if it does not meet your standards, say so. The time to do that is PRIOR to signing the lease. Take your time, check out the apartment thoroughly, and make sure that you are happy.You are signing a contract.

These tenants were absolutely lovely- very nice people, but unfortunately, out of luck as far as any refunds or changes to the lease- (unless the Landlord is willing to do anything for them, and he is not bound to do so.) and I feel badly about it. This all could have been averted by looking over the apartment in a more thorough manner, and noting anything that they wanted done prior to occupancy as an addendum to the lease. In their case, since they wanted to move right away, the addendum could have been written whereas whatever they felt was necessary to be done could be completed within a certain time period.

You should always contact an attorney if you have any legal questions.

Bottom Line: Don't sign the lease if you are not 100 percent satisfied.

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