A lease is the contract between you and the landlord. It is legally binding. Many are 20 to 40 pages. Read all of it, and ask questions before you sign.
Names: every adult who will live there is usually listed.
Term: start and end date. Most are 12 months. Shorter leases often cost more each month. Month-to-month means it continues each month until someone gives notice.
Rent: amount, due date (usually the 1st), how to pay.
Late fee: when it starts (a grace period of a few days is common) and how much. Some states limit late fees.
Security deposit: amount, and when and how it is returned after you leave. States set deadlines and limits. This differs by state.
Fees: pet rent, parking, trash, amenity, "admin" or technology fees, and fees for returned payments.
The lease says which bills you pay. Look for:
Electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash, internet.
RUBS or "utility billing": the landlord divides the building's water and trash bill among tenants by a formula. It is added to rent.
Auto-renewal: some leases renew automatically, or switch to month-to-month at a higher rent, if you do not give notice.
Notice to vacate (notice to move out): you often must tell the landlord in writing 30 to 60 days before the lease ends, even if you are leaving on the end date. Missing it can cost you another month's rent.
Write the notice deadline in your calendar the day you sign.
If you must leave early, the lease may say:
An early termination fee (often one or two months of rent), or
You owe rent until the landlord finds a new tenant.
Many states require the landlord to try to re-rent. Some states let tenants end a lease early for military orders, domestic violence or other reasons. This differs by state. Ask the landlord before signing whether you can add a clause for a job transfer or visa ending.
Repairs: how to request them, and what you must fix yourself (light bulbs, air filters).
Entry: how much notice the landlord gives before entering.
Guests and occupants: how long a guest can stay.
Subletting: usually not allowed without written permission.
Renters insurance: often required.
Rules addendum: parking, pets, pool, noise, grills.
Ask for the lease by email before the signing day, so you can read slowly.
Use a translation app on any part you do not understand.
Ask the landlord to change or explain anything in writing.
Make sure blanks are filled in and the numbers match what you were told.
Keep a signed copy (PDF) and all attachments.
Signing on a tablet in the office without reading.
Not knowing the move-out notice rule and paying an extra month.
Agreeing to verbal promises ("we will paint before you move in") that are not written in the lease.