Q: Landlord wants me to sign lease with blanks. Can they fill in after I sign? What if I don't agree with the new terms?
I just put down a deposit for a new apartment in Brooklyn. This is a rent stabilized 421a tax abatement apartment. There is a Tax Benefits rider that has this excerpt, "A monthly rent increase of ____ will be charged pursuant to this rider commencing on ____. On each succeeding anniversary of the original lease during the period of tax exemption, a monthly rent increase will be charged based on that tax year's rate." Also, there is a New York City LEASE Rider For Rent Stabilized Tenants that has not had anything filled in. The landlord asking me to sign the lease and the above rider with blanks. I have asked about the blanks and they gave me some answers via email to the blank portions but the majority remain blank. Is providing these over email valid? Could they change their responses in the lease? Could I fill in the blanks with whatever I want and send it back?
A:
Never ever EVER leave blanks in a contract you sign. If those particular terms are not applicable to your agreement, cross them out.
There is an expression "give someone a blank check." Don't do that.
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