AUGUST 9, 2026 | BEFORE YOU SIGN
Read your lease, before you sign.
A lease is the moment the whole search becomes binding. Pick your state and check the clauses you see in yours — you’ll get a plain read of what’s out of bounds and the exact change to ask for.
A plain-language summary of public law · current as of August 2026 · not legal advice.
Check the clauses in your lease
Read your proposed lease or addendum and check anything that matches. Each one shows whether it’s allowed where you live and the concrete ask to send back. Your read builds as you go.
Illegal — don’t sign it
A term the law in your state forbids. This isn’t a negotiation — ask for it to be struck before you sign.
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Illegal · Over the DC cap
Ask forDC caps the security deposit at one month’s rent. Ask to bring it down to one month and cite the cap.
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Illegal · Still over the cap
Ask forIn DC money held as “last month’s rent” still counts toward the one-month deposit cap, so this stacks past it. Ask for the full up-front total itemized in writing and brought within the cap.
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Illegal · Pets in Housing Act
⏳ Not yet in force — this rule begins October 1, 2026. Before then, a non-refundable pet fee isn’t illegal in DC; it’s barred once the law starts.
Ask forDC’s Pets in Housing law (Roscoe’s Law) takes effect October 1, 2026: it caps pet deposits and pet rent, prohibits other non-refundable pet fees, and bars breed and size restrictions. For a lease running past that date, ask for the non-refundable pet fee and any breed/size limit to be struck.
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Illegal · Source-of-income screen
Ask forRefusing a voucher or subsidy is source-of-income discrimination in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, and an income test should apply to your share of the rent, not the full rent. Ask for the subsidy to be accepted and the ratio applied to your share.
Fair housing — DC OHR · MD HOME Act · VA Fair Housing Law
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Illegal · Not a pet
Ask forAn assistance animal you need as a reasonable accommodation isn’t a “pet,” and no fee or deposit can be charged for it. Ask for the pet charges to be struck for the assistance animal, in writing.
Won’t hold up — a red flag
A term that wouldn’t survive in court, or that signals a landlord who ignores legal process. Ask for it removed; treat it as a warning about the landlord.
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Red flag · Court process required
Ask forThe law requires the legal eviction process; a self-help termination or lockout clause isn’t enforceable. Ask for it to be removed and replaced with the standard notice-and-court process.
Lease-review reference (landlord-tactics)
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Red flag · Notice required
Ask forEntry needs reasonable notice and a real reason. Ask to strike the waiver and write in a normal notice-before-entry policy (an emergency exception is fine).
Lease-review reference (landlord-tactics)
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Red flag · Against quiet enjoyment
Ask forRoutine sweeps collide with your right to quiet enjoyment; entry needs notice and a reason. Ask to remove the standing-inspection clause or narrow it to notice-based entry for a specific purpose.
Lease-review reference (landlord-tactics)
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Red flag · Blanket waiver
Ask forA blanket waiver of tenant rights generally won’t hold up and signals a landlord who ignores legal process. Ask for it to be struck; rights set by statute can’t be signed away in a lease.
Lease-review reference (lease-review skill)
Lawful, but worth negotiating
Legal but unfavorable. Not a dealbreaker — an ask a reasonable landlord can say yes to.
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Negotiable · Protect your deposit
Ask forAn “as-is” clause with no condition record can be used to charge pre-existing damage against your deposit. Ask to attach a dated, photographed move-in condition inventory that both sides sign.
Lease-review reference (move-in inventory)
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Negotiable · Notice window
Ask forAuto-renewal with a wide notice window can trap you into another term. Ask to shorten the notice window, or to make renewal an opt-in rather than automatic.
Lease-review reference (lease-review skill)
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Negotiable · Verify the cap
Ask forSome jurisdictions cap late fees as a share of the monthly rent. Ask for the fee in writing and for a short grace period; verify the current cap for your jurisdiction before you agree.
Lease-review reference — verify local cap
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Negotiable · Cap the exposure
Ask forAsk to cap the penalty (for example one to two months’ rent, or the landlord’s actual re-letting costs) rather than the whole remaining term. Note: survivors of domestic violence have a separate statutory early-termination right that a lease can’t waive.
Lease-review reference (lease-review skill)
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Negotiable · Who pays for what
Ask forMajor systems are normally the landlord’s responsibility. Ask to move structural and systems repairs back to the landlord and to spell out who pays for what.
Lease-review reference (lease-review skill)
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Negotiable · Itemize the fees
Ask forAsk for every recurring fee to be itemized in writing, and to fold or drop the junk fees. A fee you can’t get an explanation for is a fee worth pushing back on.
Lease-review reference (landlord-tactics)
Illegal — don’t sign it
A term the law in your state forbids. This isn’t a negotiation — ask for it to be struck before you sign.
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Illegal · Over the MD cap
Ask forMaryland caps the security deposit at one month’s rent for leases on or after October 1, 2024. Ask to bring it down to one month and cite the cap.
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Illegal · Counts as a deposit
Ask forMaryland defines the deposit to include last month’s rent paid in advance, so this pushes past the one-month cap. Ask for the up-front total itemized in writing and brought within the cap.
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Illegal · Source-of-income screen
Ask forRefusing a voucher or subsidy is source-of-income discrimination in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, and an income test should apply to your share of the rent, not the full rent. Ask for the subsidy to be accepted and the ratio applied to your share.
Fair housing — DC OHR · MD HOME Act · VA Fair Housing Law
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Illegal · Not a pet
Ask forAn assistance animal you need as a reasonable accommodation isn’t a “pet,” and no fee or deposit can be charged for it. Ask for the pet charges to be struck for the assistance animal, in writing.
Won’t hold up — a red flag
A term that wouldn’t survive in court, or that signals a landlord who ignores legal process. Ask for it removed; treat it as a warning about the landlord.
-
Red flag · Court process required
Ask forThe law requires the legal eviction process; a self-help termination or lockout clause isn’t enforceable. Ask for it to be removed and replaced with the standard notice-and-court process.
Lease-review reference (landlord-tactics)
-
Red flag · Notice required
Ask forEntry needs reasonable notice and a real reason. Ask to strike the waiver and write in a normal notice-before-entry policy (an emergency exception is fine).
Lease-review reference (landlord-tactics)
-
Red flag · Against quiet enjoyment
Ask forRoutine sweeps collide with your right to quiet enjoyment; entry needs notice and a reason. Ask to remove the standing-inspection clause or narrow it to notice-based entry for a specific purpose.
Lease-review reference (landlord-tactics)
-
Red flag · Blanket waiver
Ask forA blanket waiver of tenant rights generally won’t hold up and signals a landlord who ignores legal process. Ask for it to be struck; rights set by statute can’t be signed away in a lease.
Lease-review reference (lease-review skill)
Lawful, but worth negotiating
Legal but unfavorable. Not a dealbreaker — an ask a reasonable landlord can say yes to.
-
Negotiable · Protect your deposit
Ask forAn “as-is” clause with no condition record can be used to charge pre-existing damage against your deposit. Ask to attach a dated, photographed move-in condition inventory that both sides sign.
Lease-review reference (move-in inventory)
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Negotiable · County rent caps
Ask forIn Montgomery and Prince George’s County, annual rent increases are capped. If the unit is in either county, ask for the renewal-increase clause to be tied to the current allowable increase.
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Negotiable · Notice window
Ask forAuto-renewal with a wide notice window can trap you into another term. Ask to shorten the notice window, or to make renewal an opt-in rather than automatic.
Lease-review reference (lease-review skill)
-
Negotiable · Verify the cap
Ask forSome jurisdictions cap late fees as a share of the monthly rent. Ask for the fee in writing and for a short grace period; verify the current cap for your jurisdiction before you agree.
Lease-review reference — verify local cap
-
Negotiable · Cap the exposure
Ask forAsk to cap the penalty (for example one to two months’ rent, or the landlord’s actual re-letting costs) rather than the whole remaining term. Note: survivors of domestic violence have a separate statutory early-termination right that a lease can’t waive.
Lease-review reference (lease-review skill)
-
Negotiable · Who pays for what
Ask forMajor systems are normally the landlord’s responsibility. Ask to move structural and systems repairs back to the landlord and to spell out who pays for what.
Lease-review reference (lease-review skill)
-
Negotiable · Itemize the fees
Ask forAsk for every recurring fee to be itemized in writing, and to fold or drop the junk fees. A fee you can’t get an explanation for is a fee worth pushing back on.
Lease-review reference (landlord-tactics)
Illegal — don’t sign it
A term the law in your state forbids. This isn’t a negotiation — ask for it to be struck before you sign.
-
Illegal · Source-of-income screen
Ask forRefusing a voucher or subsidy is source-of-income discrimination in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, and an income test should apply to your share of the rent, not the full rent. Ask for the subsidy to be accepted and the ratio applied to your share.
Fair housing — DC OHR · MD HOME Act · VA Fair Housing Law
-
Illegal · Not a pet
Ask forAn assistance animal you need as a reasonable accommodation isn’t a “pet,” and no fee or deposit can be charged for it. Ask for the pet charges to be struck for the assistance animal, in writing.
Won’t hold up — a red flag
A term that wouldn’t survive in court, or that signals a landlord who ignores legal process. Ask for it removed; treat it as a warning about the landlord.
-
Red flag · Court process required
Ask forThe law requires the legal eviction process; a self-help termination or lockout clause isn’t enforceable. Ask for it to be removed and replaced with the standard notice-and-court process.
Lease-review reference (landlord-tactics)
-
Red flag · Notice required
Ask forEntry needs reasonable notice and a real reason. Ask to strike the waiver and write in a normal notice-before-entry policy (an emergency exception is fine).
Lease-review reference (landlord-tactics)
-
Red flag · Against quiet enjoyment
Ask forRoutine sweeps collide with your right to quiet enjoyment; entry needs notice and a reason. Ask to remove the standing-inspection clause or narrow it to notice-based entry for a specific purpose.
Lease-review reference (landlord-tactics)
-
Red flag · Blanket waiver
Ask forA blanket waiver of tenant rights generally won’t hold up and signals a landlord who ignores legal process. Ask for it to be struck; rights set by statute can’t be signed away in a lease.
Lease-review reference (lease-review skill)
Lawful, but worth negotiating
Legal but unfavorable. Not a dealbreaker — an ask a reasonable landlord can say yes to.
-
Negotiable · Legal in VA — negotiate
Ask forIn Virginia this stack is legal — first, last, and up to two months’ deposit — which is the main reason move-in costs here run high. Ask to negotiate the deposit down or spread it over the first months.
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Negotiable · Must go to escrow
Ask forVirginia doesn’t cap prepaid rent, but it must be placed in escrow by the end of the fifth business day after the landlord receives it. Ask for the lease to state where the prepaid rent is held.
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Negotiable · Protect your deposit
Ask forAn “as-is” clause with no condition record can be used to charge pre-existing damage against your deposit. Ask to attach a dated, photographed move-in condition inventory that both sides sign.
Lease-review reference (move-in inventory)
-
Negotiable · Notice window
Ask forAuto-renewal with a wide notice window can trap you into another term. Ask to shorten the notice window, or to make renewal an opt-in rather than automatic.
Lease-review reference (lease-review skill)
-
Negotiable · Verify the cap
Ask forSome jurisdictions cap late fees as a share of the monthly rent. Ask for the fee in writing and for a short grace period; verify the current cap for your jurisdiction before you agree.
Lease-review reference — verify local cap
-
Negotiable · Cap the exposure
Ask forAsk to cap the penalty (for example one to two months’ rent, or the landlord’s actual re-letting costs) rather than the whole remaining term. Note: survivors of domestic violence have a separate statutory early-termination right that a lease can’t waive.
Lease-review reference (lease-review skill)
-
Negotiable · Who pays for what
Ask forMajor systems are normally the landlord’s responsibility. Ask to move structural and systems repairs back to the landlord and to spell out who pays for what.
Lease-review reference (lease-review skill)
-
Negotiable · Itemize the fees
Ask forAsk for every recurring fee to be itemized in writing, and to fold or drop the junk fees. A fee you can’t get an explanation for is a fee worth pushing back on.
Lease-review reference (landlord-tactics)
Check anything above and your read appears here.
Your asks — the changes to send back (copy these into a message)
This flags the clauses that most often go wrong — not every possible term. A short read here doesn’t mean the lease is clean: skim the rest and look over anything unfamiliar.
A lease can be steep and still be legal. In Virginia the big up-front stack — first + last + up to a two-month deposit — is legal and uncapped; DC and Maryland cap the deposit at one month. That’s why the read is keyed to your state. Check the numbers on the up-front money check.
Three kinds of clause, three moves
Your move is different for each. Sort every flag into one of three, and you know what to do with it.
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Illegal
A term the law in your state forbids. This isn’t a negotiation — ask for it to be struck before you sign.
-
Red flag
A term that wouldn’t survive in court, or that signals a landlord who ignores legal process. Ask for it removed; treat it as a warning about the landlord.
-
Negotiable
Legal but unfavorable. Not a dealbreaker — an ask a reasonable landlord can say yes to.
This is a read and a set of asks, not a redraft of your lease. Keep the asks specific and reasonable — the kind a landlord can say yes to — and hold firm on the illegal terms. A clause you can’t get changed, or any real dispute, goes to a tenant attorney or one of the offices below.
Where to go for real help
For a clause you can’t get changed, or a signature under pressure, these are free and real. This page helps you spot the problem and ask; they can act on your case.
- DC — Office of the Tenant Advocate ↗
Free DC agency for renters — advice, deposits, lease disputes.
- DC — Legal Aid DC ↗
Free legal help, including housing and lease review.
- MD — People’s Law Library ↗
Plain-language Maryland tenant law: deposits, leases, protections.
- VA — Virginia Fair Housing Office / VRLTA ↗
Fair-housing complaints and the statewide landlord-tenant act.
Survivor of domestic violence? Each jurisdiction has an early lease-termination right that a lease can’t waive — Legal Aid DC (or the MD/VA equivalent) can walk you through it before you sign.
Sources & fine print
Not legal advice. This is a plain-language read of public law to help you spot a problem clause and ask the right question. It can’t tell you your specific lease is safe or unsafe — it surfaces the terms worth a second look.
Laws change — every figure here is current as of August 2026. This region’s housing law changes often, and rules can differ by county and by lease date. Verify against the sources before you rely on it, and for a clause the summary doesn’t cover, treat it as one to check rather than a settled rule.
Nothing you type leaves your browser. There’s no account and no AI on this page. The read is computed on your own device from the boxes you check.
- DC deposit & advance-rent caps — DC Office of the Tenant Advocate ↗
- DC Pets in Housing / Roscoe’s Law — D.C. Law 25-308 ↗
- Maryland security deposits & last month’s rent — People’s Law Library ↗
- Montgomery County rent stabilization ↗
- Virginia VRLTA — fees, deposits, prepaid rent, escrow ↗
- Assistance animals under the Fair Housing Act — HUD ↗
Another no-plugin front door for DC Rentals — pairs with the know-your-rights page and the is-this-a-scam check. Signed and moving in? Protect your deposit at handover. The same read the full kit gives, reachable with no account and no AI. One node in a wider commons of DC civic tools.