Rent Agreement: It is not easy to buy a house in today’s time. In such a situation, most people prefer to live on rent. However, when you rent a house, you have to enter into a rent agreement with the landlord.
Whenever a residential property is rented, the landlord i.e. the owner of the house includes the necessary clauses in the rent agreement, so that the tenant cannot cheat him. Many times people make some mistakes in the rent agreement, due to which they face problems later. Let us know about some such points, which the tenant must include in the rent agreement.
1- How much is the rent of the house?
The most important point of any rent agreement is the rent amount. The rent amount in the rent agreement must be absolutely correct. You have to pay this amount. If the correct amount is not written in the agreement, then it can cause problems between you and the landlord. It is important to decide beforehand whether the rent includes maintenance fees, parking charges etc.
2- Security Deposit
All the landlords take a security deposit from the tenant so that if any damage is caused to the property due to him, it can be compensated. This also benefits the landlord that if the tenant fails to pay his rent, that money will be deducted from the security deposit. Although the amount of the security deposit is also shown in the rent agreement, but while making the agreement, make sure to write about taking it back. The tenant should include this thing in the rent agreement that when he leaves the property, the landlord will return the amount of the security deposit to him. If any damage is caused to the property due to the tenant, it can be adjusted from this.
3- Lock-in period and rent agreement termination
The rent agreement should give equal time to both the parties within which they can give notice to leave the house. The tenant should negotiate the notice period in the rent agreement as per his convenience. Some rent agreements also have a lock-in period under which the rent agreement cannot be terminated before that. In such a case, even if the tenant leaves the house midway, he will have to pay the entire amount. Such conditions are often kept while making lease deed in commercial properties. However, if you are buying a residential property, then such conditions should be avoided and if there is such a condition, it should be removed. If it is decided that you have to stay there for a long time and cannot leave the house before that, then you can also include a lock-in period in the rent agreement.
4- Normal wear and tear
The agreement should clearly state what kind of damage the tenant will be responsible for. Make sure to include this clause in the rent agreement that the tenant will not be responsible for normal wear and tear, the tenant will have to pay only in case of major damage. When living somewhere for a long time, there are some normal types of wear and tear, for which the tenant should not have to pay.
5- Complete list of facilities available in the house
When you get the rent agreement made, make sure to include a complete list of facilities available in the house. Include all the equipment provided in the house in it. If this is not done, you may face problems. It is possible that you were given fewer facilities in the beginning, but due to some misunderstanding, the landlord may feel that you were given more facilities. In such a situation, the landlord can recover those equipment from you, which he will not be able to see. For example, it is possible that you got the facility of geyser in only one bathroom, but later the landlord can say that he had provided geysers in both the bathrooms.
6- There should be no outstanding dues
When you get the rent agreement made, keep in mind that there should be no outstanding bills on the house you are renting. It can be electricity bill or society maintenance or water bill etc. If you do not set rules regarding this in the beginning, then it is possible that you will have to pay for it too.
7- Renewal and increase in rent
It should also be clear in the rent agreement as to when the rent agreement is to be renewed. Also, rules should be decided in advance on how much the rent is to be increased at the time of renewal. Make sure to include this clause in the rent agreement as well.
8- Cost of getting the rent agreement made
When a rent agreement is made, there is a cost involved in it. You have to decide in advance who will bear the cost of getting the rent agreement made. Often the landlord himself pays this expense, but in many cases the cost of making the rent agreement is taken from the tenant.
Also Read- Rent Agreement: Why is the rent agreement made for only 11 months? Most people do not know the reason
9- Use of property
While making the rent agreement, it should also be made clear for what purposes the property you are taking can be used. If you want to use the rented property for a specific purpose, then make sure to include it in the rent agreement beforehand, otherwise there may be a problem later.
10- Information about restrictions
It is important to write in the rent agreement what things are prohibited. Often the landlord does not allow the person to whom he rents the house to rent it to someone else. Many times people rent a house and start renovating it from inside, but some landlords do not allow this. All such things must be written in the rent agreement.
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