Rakesh searched for the property to stay on Rent and got the property with appropriate Rent and Finalize it and Sign a Rental Agreement form with the Owner.
Later, Rakesh got to know that the Condition of the House is not so good actually. So, he decided to leave the house and inform the same to the Owner. But Owner denies his decision by saying that Rakesh has to provide two months’ Notice in Written or has to provide Rent for 4 months to have a permit to leave the house.
Do you know why this happened?
Because in Rent Agreement form that the Rakesh signed contained the Clause of – Lock-in Period
What is Lock-in Period in the Rental Agreement?
The locking period prescribes the time period within which any of the parties cannot terminate the contract before the sending of the lock-in period, if the party does so then he has to pay the rent for the remaining lock-in period.
So, there is a clause called Lock-in Period which had involved in their rent agreement form that if the Tenant wishes to terminate the Agreement then he has to provide the Notice in Written of Two Months or Rent for 4 months. Rakesh didn’t read the rent agreement form and signed the Agreement affirming that he is accepting all the terms and conditions which unfortunately brought him to this situation. Now he is helpless, He has to Stay in a House for 2 months or have to provide Rent for 4 months.
Rakesh could have avoided this situation if he had read the Rent Agreement carefully before signing. Most of the Tenants are not aware of the points that should include in the Rent Agreement.
Here are the things you should Check while entering into an Agreement:
Ownership of Owner
Before Signing the Agreement, make sure that the person who is claiming to be the Owner of the Property is the actual Owner or not. Ask for the Ownership Proof from the Person, Verify the Proof and preserve one photocopy with you for future reference.
Also Read, Is Notary Rent Agreement Valid?
Terms and Conditions for Rental Agreement –
Discuss the Terms and Conditions before Signing the Rent Agreement with Owner briefly. Modify the Terms and Conditions as suitable.
The Terms and Conditions which Tenant should Check are :
- Hike of Rent Clause – Check whether there is a clause in the hike of rent in the agreement, by which rent will increase after the set period of time. Check this particular clause and the date and percentage of hike of rent and decide mutually with the Owner.
- Repairs and Maintenance – Check the clause of Repairs and Maintenance that the Repairs will do by which Party.
- Lock-in Period – Check if the Agreement contains the clause of Lock-in Period and if yes, then Check the Duration of Lock-in Period and modify it as per suitable.
- Duration of Agreement – Check the Duration that what is duration of the Agreement and when it will get expire and prepare accordingly. you can go through our detailed blog on “what if rent agreement is expired” to know what you need to done onthe expiration of your rent agreement.
- Sale of House – Check the clause of the Sale of the house that if the owner decides to sell the House during the agreement then how much time will the tenant get to search for any other accommodation.
These are the few terms and conditions which need to check thoroughly, otherwise, it is highly recommended to read and verify each and every clause mentioned in Rent Agreement before Signing and Accepting it.
Also Read, Notarized Rent Agreement Or Registered Rent Agreement
Check Previous Bills of House –
Check all the previous bills of the house and whether they pay or not in order to avoid any misshapen later. The Bills that need to check are Electricity, Water, Gas, and House Tax.
Take the Receipt
If you have paid any Token Money to the Owner then ask for the Receipt of the same and preserve it carefully.
So, these are the basic things that Tenant should check before entering and Signing the Rent Agreement.
We provide the fully drafted Rental Agreement including all the important terms and conditions. We provide service at the doorstep in which simply what you have to do is provide us your details by filling up the form(designed securely to capture your data), place the order, and we will quickly draft your Rental Agreement along with the prescribed e-stamp paper and deliver it to you.
Also Read, Do’s & Don’t while Drafting a Rental Agreement!