Q: Should I sign lease renewal without prior verbal agreements listed?
When moving in the manager kept at least one of our cats off of the lease to avoid deposit charges as a way to entice signing; then he was replaced before our lease was up or we had any ability to get verbal contracts put into writing including the existence of all animals and permission to paint and hang art on the walls. We were assured the walls would require painting one way or another and because of this neither paint or nail holes would be cause of worry.
The renewal received by new management has addendums stating we are not allowed to paint or hang on walls and none of the animals are listed. It also claims inspection and guarantee of the pest free nature of the dwelling despite the documented conversations going back to move-in about the known ant problem in the building. My husband doesn’t want to rock the boat but I’m seriously uneasy about signing something that gives them permission to evict us in 24 hours based on ‘falsifying’ our paperwork.
What should I be doing?
A: You know the answer, you are just trying to find a way around it. No one should EVER sign any document which they know contains false information and you are certainly justified to be concerned about it. Even if a landlord does nothing about it now, you will be giving them a weapon to use against you anytime they wish - and undoubtedly at a time that is very inconvenient to you. IF you are banned from having that many pets, you need to address that up front or you will be walking on egg shells around your landlord the entire time you live there. Take the high road and simply be honest. It truly does make life a lot simpler and more enjoyable.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
