Lease Terms.
In plain English
Lease terms are the specific conditions written into the contract between you and a landlord. They cover the big ones (monthly rent, the length of the lease, the security deposit) and the smaller ones (pet rules, who pays utilities, how much notice to move out, late fees). Once you sign, those terms are legally binding on both sides, so a verbal promise that is not in the document usually does not count. Read every line before signing, because the lease, not the conversation, is what a court looks at later.
01Why it matters
A single clause you skipped, like an automatic renewal or a steep early-termination fee, can cost you hundreds or trap you for another year. The lease is the only version of the deal that holds up.
02The math, step by step
A lease might set rent at $1,400 a month for a 12-month term, require a $1,400 security deposit, charge a late fee after the 5th of the month, and require 60 days' written notice before you move out. If you assumed it was month-to-month and gave only 30 days' notice, the 60-day clause means you could owe an extra month of rent.
03What this is NOT
What the listing advertised or what the agent said on the walkthrough is not binding. Only the terms written into the signed lease are enforceable, so get every promise in writing before you sign.
04Receipts
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Plain-English answers from our glossary. Receipts included. Never advice.
Educational tool. Answers come only from ClearMoneySchool's published glossary and are not advice. Why we never give advice