Lease Review
Understand Your Lease Before You Sign It
Upload your lease or rental agreement, and LegalLens explains every clause in plain English. It flags the terms worth a closer look, like uncapped late fees or automatic renewals, and suggests what to ask your landlord before you sign.
Free while in beta · No signup required · PDF, Word, or text up to 10MB
What LegalLens Looks At in a Lease
Every clause gets a plain-English explanation. These are the ones that most often deserve a second look.
Rent and late fees
When rent is due, how you can pay it, and what happens if it's late.
Watch for: Late fees that keep adding up every day with no cap, or a grace period shorter than you expect.
Security deposit
How much you pay up front, and what the landlord can keep when you move out.
Watch for: Vague deductions like "cleaning" or "restoring the unit," and no clear date for getting your money back. Many states and provinces limit what a deposit can be used for and how quickly it has to be returned, and some places don't allow security deposits at all.
Lease length and renewal
How long you're committed, and what happens when the term ends.
Watch for: Automatic renewal into another full term unless you give notice by a deadline, sometimes 60 days or more before the lease ends.
Ending the lease early
What it costs to move out before the term is up.
Watch for: Clauses that make you owe all the remaining rent, or a large flat fee, if you need to leave early.
Repairs and maintenance
Who is responsible for fixing what.
Watch for: Clauses that make you pay to repair appliances, heating, or air conditioning, even when they break from normal use.
Landlord entry
When the landlord can come into your home, and how much notice they have to give.
Watch for: Entry "at any time" or without notice, outside of real emergencies.
Fees and rent increases
Charges on top of rent, and whether rent can go up during the lease.
Watch for: Monthly fees for parking, trash, pets, or amenities, and clauses that let the landlord raise rent before the lease ends.
Guests and subletting
Who can live in the unit, and how long guests can stay.
Watch for: Tight limits on overnight guests, or a ban on subletting if there's a chance you'll need to move.
Shared responsibility with roommates
Many leases make every tenant "jointly and severally liable."
Watch for: That usually means each of you can be held responsible for the full rent and all damage, not just your share.
Disputes and legal fees
What happens if you and the landlord disagree.
Watch for: Clauses that make you pay the landlord's legal fees, or that limit where you can take a dispute, such as requiring private arbitration.
Questions Worth Asking Your Landlord
LegalLens suggests questions based on what's actually in your lease. These are some of the most common ones, and it's easier to get answers before you sign than after.
- Is there a grace period for rent, and is there a cap on late fees?
- What would you deduct from my deposit, and when would I get it back?
- Does the lease renew automatically, and how much notice do I need to give to move out?
- What happens if I need to leave before the lease ends?
- Which repairs am I responsible for, and which are yours?
- Can the rent or fees go up while the lease is in effect?
See It on a Real Lease
The sample analysis walks through a residential lease with 11 clauses: 4 look standard, and 7 are worth a closer look. It's exactly what you'll get for your own lease.
See the sample lease analysisUpload Your Lease
Free while in beta — no signup required. Tell us a little about your situation, like where the rental is, and the analysis will take it into account.
Lease Rules Depend on Where You Live
Your state or province, and sometimes your city, sets its own rules for deposits, entry notice, rent increases, and ending a lease early, and some lease terms can't be enforced everywhere. LegalLens explains what your lease says. It isn't a law firm, and its analysis isn't legal advice.
If you're facing a dispute or a big decision, a local tenant organization, legal aid clinic, or lawyer can tell you how the law applies to you.