Across
- 5. An additional good or service included in your rent payment, including an on-site gym, pool, or laundry.
- 6. The amount of time specified on your lease during which you'll occupy the apartment and pay rent. This is usually a year but can be nearly any timeframe or even open-ended.
- 7. The period you have between the due date for rent and the date that a payment will be considered late.
- 9. A formal notice given to the landlord by a tenant stating they intend to end occupancy of the premises and not renew the lease. Your lease will usually state a window during which you can do this without penalty.
- 14. A clause that allows the tenant to not pay rent in the case of accident, disaster, or damage that is not the tenant's fault that makes the rented space uninhabitable.
- 15. Essential services including water, electricity, trash, sewage, phone, and internet.
- 16. An illegal discriminatory practice and pattern of refusing to rent to or rejecting a potential tenant based on their race or ethnicity or another protected status, such as disability or religion, often through deceptive or surreptitious means.
- 17. The forced removal of a tenant from a property, usually due to breaking the terms of the lease or non-payment.
- 18. The amount of rent charged to a tenant when the first or last month of a lease is less than a full month. If you move in the middle of the month, the landlord will often only charge you for the percentage of the month you actually occupied the unit.
- 20. A precaution some landlords will take to evaluate your history of paying bills and debts in a timely manner.
Down
- 1. An insurance policy that protects the property and well-being of a tenant in the case of a natural disaster, accident, or break-in.
- 2. Another person who can co-sign a lease with you to "guarantee" you will fulfill your financial obligations; they do NOT live in the space with you.
- 3. A payment given to a landlord or property owner to show you intend to move in and care for the space; so long as the property is not damaged beyond reasonable wear-and-tear at move-out, you should receive this money back.
- 4. When a tenant who is on the contract with the landlord rents their room/apartment/house to another tenant without breaking their lease. Often the cheapest way to find somewhere to live on short notice.
- 6. The person who occupies a rented space, sometimes referred to as the "lessee."
- 8. A contract to exchange property (an apartment, house, office, etc) for money.
- 10. A term found in most leases that describes the acceptable amount of damage that does not trigger a monetary penalty deducted from your security deposit upon vacating the apartment. This takes the burden of responsibility away from the tenant for normal, unavoidable usage deterioration.
- 11. The owner of a property who is responsible for reasonable upkeep and maintenance.
- 12. Regular payment in exchange for use of property; should also go towards the upkeep and reasonable maintenance of that property and can include some or all utilities.
- 13. An extra regular fee (often monthly) to pay for the potential damage a pet pay cause to the rented space.
- 19. A payment to cover the costs of applying for an apartment or house; these costs can include a credit and/or background check, the time taken to do a tour or inspection, and other services.