Arrears - Overdue rent
Assign - Transfer the unexpired portion of a lease
Cause of Action - Specific situation that may become the basis for a lawsuit
Civil - A non-criminal legal matter; housing disputes are often settled in civil court
Covenant - A promise
Default - To forfeit or lose by omission to perform a legal obligation
Demised Premises - The place being rented
Destraint (preceded by distress) - The landlord takes your personal property to force you to pay or eventually sells it to get the money
Enjoyment - Possession or occupancy of land
Enure - To take effect
Eviction - Depriving a person of occupancy; constructive occupancy does not actually remove the tenant, but it makes it impossible for the tenant to remain because of conditions, i.e. - serious deterioration
Goods and Chattels - Personal property
Holdover - Retaining possession of rented real estate after the lease term expires or the landlord demands possession because of an alleged branch of the terms in the lease by the tenant
Indemnify and Hold Harmless - To free from any responsibility or liability
Inure - To take effect
Lease - A type of legal agreement establishing a landlord-tenant relationship
Lessee - The tenant
Lessor - The landlord
Liability - Responsibility, loss, a negative element
Notice to Vacate - Notification from the landlord to the tenant ordering the tenant of the property
Parties to a Lease - Those who agree to abide by the provisions of a lease; usually, you as the tenant, any house mates as co-tenants, and the landlord
Possession - Lawful occupation and use of land, subject to protection of "Quiet Enjoyment"
Sublet - Agreeing to permit someone else to use rented property for a period less than the lessee's term. The lessee will be paid by the subletor
Summary Proceeding - To recover possession; i.e. - eviction
Term of Lease - The length of time that a lease shall be in effect
Thirty-Day Notice - On a month-to-month tenancy, this is the notice that either party must give the other to terminate the tenancy; the thirty days must include a full rental period
Waiver - Relinquishment of a right, agreeing to give up something that you are entitled to.
Source: E.J. Goodman. The Tenant Survival Book. New York: New American Library, 1974.
Written Lease
Many landlords require tenants to sign a written lease. Remember that the lease is a contract, which, once signed, legally binds both parties to the terms of the lease. Before signing the lease, read it and make sure that you understand everything. Leases are often written in confusing language. Have your landlord or an appropriate advisory agent (i.e. - ODSD) explain everything that you do not understand. Make sure that your lease protects your interests, not just the landlord's. Try to delete or modify clauses that are a disadvantage to you. Since many landlords now require student's parents to co-sign the lease, you should encourage your parents to thoroughly review the lease as well.