Watch for Rules and Regulations that may be included in the lease or attached as an additional document. These may be regulations about noise, cleaning requirements and standards, garbage storage and disposal, security issues, smoke detectors, parties, guests, pets, parking, hallways, lights, landlord access to inspect or show the apartment to prospective tenants, and other life style issues. Rules and Regulations are often a problem between landlord and tenant if they are not understood, agreed to, and followed. Tenants can be evicted for breaching the lease by not following these rules. Rules and Regulations can be changed, added to, or amended by the landlord during the lease without tenant approval if the lease allows it.
Security deposits are customary in the university community.
They are usually equal to one or two months rent. They can not be greater than two months rent. Most leases specify that the deposit cannot be used as the last month's rent. Some leases say that if the landlord uses some or all of the security deposit during the term of the lease, the tenant must pay to bring the deposit up to the lease-specified amount. The landlord must place the security deposit in an escrow account in a bank for the term of the lease-or may be bonded which is a guarantee of payment.