Apartment Leasing Basics

What resources are available for finding an apartment?

Anybody who's looking for housing has a couple of resources at their disposal, including classified ads in the newspapers, specialized magazines and newspapers that deal specifically with rental or home buying. People also have the option, if they know where they want to live, of just driving around. More informal ways of finding an apartment include word of mouth, such as when friends know of a vacancy in an apartment building.

Can a minor rent a residence?

A minor probably cannot enter into a lease or rental agreement given that they are under eighteen. So in order to legally enter a contract, one needs to be over eighteen years old, and cannot be a minor.

What is the difference between a "month-to-month" lease and a "term" lease?

The difference between a month-to-month lease and a term lease is that the month-to-month lease will renew itself every month, every time the tenant pays for the rent. However, a term lease is locked for a certain period of time, for example, six or twelve months.

Do leases automatically renew?

Leases do not automatically renew themselves. Tenants should check with their landlord to see what their renewal process is for their lease.

When I give "notice" to my landlord, does it have to be in writing?

The general recommendation is that if a tenant does give a notice to the landlord, they should do it in writing and they should keep a copy of it. That way they have records of all their communication with their landlord.