Moving into your first Athens apartment can be a stressful time, all these documents to sign and payments to be made. It is important to know what you are agreeing to before making a mistake you can not get out of, as leases are binding. Knowing exactly what is in your lease agreement is a fundamental step in apartment ownership. Apartments in Athens near the University of Georgia are primarily for students, so most of the lease agreements are per room. This means you do not need to worry about splitting up the rent each month and you are only responsible for your portion of the payment.
What Goes into a Lease Agreement
The lease agreement is the contract between you, the tenant and the landlord. The landlord is often referred to as the lessor and you the renter the lessee. The contract will go into detail about who is responsible for things such as property maintenance, changes that are allowed to be made to the property and how the lease can be terminated by either party. An Example of changes that are allowed to be made to the property could include small holes in the wall if filled before the lease ends. The apartment community you are renting from is often referred to as the premises and will include details on parking spaces, storage areas and furnishings that come with the property. There will be a term of the tenancy in the document that dictates the length of the rental. In Athens almost all properties are 12 month leases beginning in August and ending July 31st. 6 month leases are available, however it is much more expensive to do so, and you may need to find someone to sublease from you if it is not available at the apartment community you want to live in.
Rent will be specified in the agreement with how much, when it is due each month and acceptable forms of payment. Late fees will be included as well. Security Deposits are a regular occurrence, to insure you do not back out of your lease. If any utilities are included then that will be mentioned in the contract as well. Be sure to look for properties that include utilities because it will save you a lot of money in the long run. It varies wildly pet-friendly properties, so be sure you know what is allowed and what isn't. There is usually a general clause stating that any violation of the rental agreement by you or your guests, can lead to the termination of you living at the apartment community. Make sure you know what you are agreeing to before signing, because it can be a headache down the road if you do not do it right.