If you are signing a lease, read it carefully and understand all of its provisions. The lease is the original written document signed by you and your landlord. A signed copy must be delivered to you within thirty days of signing. You, the tenant, are considered the lessee and your landlord is the lessor. Rent is the amount of money you pay each month for occupancy.
Some leases contain tax escalator clauses.
If property taxes go up, this provision provides the only way a landlord can raise rent prior to the end of the lease. The clause must state that the tenant will pay only the proportion of the increased taxes that the apartment contributes to the entirety of taxed real estate. If the landlord receives an abatement or refund, the tenant must receive a proportionate share. Without these provisions, the tax escalator clause is unenforceable. A standard fixed term lease runs for twelve months and is renewed after the period expires.