What to Look for When Signing a Lease

It seems like every day we are bombarded with fine print. Most of the time in order to save time, we just click agree and continue on. We would not even understand what all of the legal jargon meant even if we took our time to read it, right? Wrong. Contracts are important and are legally binding documents. When you sign a contract to UF student apartments, you will be held accountable for everything within it. Therefore, it is vital that you take the necessary time to read it carefully. In fact, you can always ask for a hard copy of it to read by yourself before you sign it.

Length of Lease

One of the most important facts you will need to know is how long your lease is for. What exact date does it start and what date does it end? This will help you not only to know when you will have to move elsewhere but it will also prevent your landlord from making you move out of your student housing in Gainesville, FL early.

Amount Due Monthly

Once you sign the document agreeing to a certain payment every month, it will be very difficult to get out of. If you are unable to pay rent, you will face serious consequences and your debts will be sent to collections. You will only be exempt from completion of payment if you are able to sublease or break your lease, which can be quite difficult. Before you sign, make sure that you are financially stable enough to pay rent every month.

Damage Policy

Most Gainesville apartments require that you pay a security deposit at the beginning of your contract. Then any costs from damage to your apartment or extensive cleaning will be taken from your original deposit. If costs exceed this amount, you may be charged further expenses. Any amount remaining will be sent back to you.

Pet Restrictions

If you have an animal that you want to bring with you, you will need to see what the policy is. Do they only allow certain animals or limit their size? Will there be extra fees that you will need to pay if you own one? Figuring out the answers to these questions before you sign will help you determine if you will bring your pet with you at all or if you will need to find alternative student housing near UF.

Overnight Guest Regulations

When you are living off campus, you will enjoy more freedom. But sometimes it is not as much as you think. Check the contract for any restrictions on overnight guests. Perhaps there is a limit to the amount of nights a guest is allowed to consecutively stay at your apartment or how many you are allowed to have over. If you are someone who regularly has friends visit from out of town or you have a significant other that stays over frequently, you will want to check for any policies.

Maintenance Policy

Read through your contract to determine who is responsible for any repairs. The best apartments in Gainesville for UF students offer to fix issues in your unit as long as you call when they happen. However, if for some reason, you will need to make repairs yourself or pay for them, you will want to know this ahead of time in order to figure out if you are capable of doing so.

Contracts for Student Apartments in Gainesville, FL

Though it may seem tedious while you are doing it, reading your contract thoroughly is worth it. It is better to find out what you are responsible for before you sign rather than after. Further, contracts are legally binding for your Gainesville apartment complex as well. They are agreeing to everything that is written down. Therefore, if a problem arises in the future, you can use the lease to hold them accountable.