You may wish to invest in an insurance policy that covers a renter’s personal property in case of damage or loss due to fire, flood, or theft. These policies are relatively inexpensive and generally include protection from personal liability if a visitor is injured while in your residence.

Rent regulation limits the amount an owner/landlord may charge a tenant for rent and sets guidelines and restrictions on eviction and rent increases. Rent stabilization is a form of rent regulation. Rent control is another form of this governmental rent regulated process. Under rent regulation, owners are obligated to provide certain essential services.

A Roommate/Share is an arrangement whereby one rents an apartment with one or more individuals who already live in the apartment. This kind of arrangement may be organized in a variety of different ways where one or more roommates may or may not be on the lease as a tenant or even an occupant. Roommate issues, more common than may be expected, can escalate to costly and annoying legal battles. It is recommended that you take care to thoroughly screen your potential roommate. Make sure to consider the legal implications of having a roommate as well. For more information see the Roommates Tips section of this website.

A deposit, usually one month’s rent, that a rental tenant will give to the landlord at lease signing as security against damage to the apartment during the course of their tenancy. At the end of the lease term, the landlord will take the cost of any damages caused by the tenant out of the security deposit before returning it. Most of the time the deposit will be held in an interest bearing escrow account.

An agreement whereby a tenant grants possession and use of all or part of the leased property to another party, who is known as the (sub)‘lessee’, ‘subtenant‘ or ‘undertenant’. Subletting may be prohibited by the original lease or require written permission from the landlord. In a sublease, the original tenant, who is now regarded as the ‘sublessor’ or ‘over-tenant’, remains directly responsible for making the rent payments to the landlord. In co-ops, there may be rules that prohibit, limit, or otherwise control subletting.

If you sign a lease, you are obligated to pay rent for each month for the full term of the lease. For example, if you sign a 12-month lease that starts in September, you are responsible to pay for all 12 months – even if your plans change and you want to move out in May, after the school year ends. The landlord may allow you to cancel your lease, but there will very likely be a penalty.

Under the warranty of habitability, tenants have the right to a livable, safe and sanitary apartment. This is a right that is implied in every written or oral residential lease. Any lease provision that waives this right is contrary to public policy and is therefore void. Examples of a breach of this warranty include the failure to provide heat or hot water on a regular basis, or the failure to rid an apartment of an insect infestation. Public areas of the building are also covered by the warranty of habitability. The warranty of habitability also applies to cooperative apartments, but not to condominiums. Any uninhabitable condition caused by the tenant or persons under the tenant’s direction or control does not constitute a breach of the warranty of habitability. In such a case, it is the responsibility of the tenant to remedy the condition.