Questions about your lease

• Can I get a copy of my lease?
• Can the manager enter my apartment when I'm not at home?
• How much notice must I give to move out?
• Who covers the cost of damages to my property if I'm robbed, or there is a fire or other accident?

Under the TAA Lease Contract, you are entitled to a signed original of your lease. Ask for it when both parties (you and the property owner or owner's representative) have signed the lease, or request one later if you did not receive one when you first signed it.

There are a number of reasons why property managers or maintenance staff may need to enter your apartment, and it could be very inconvenient for you if you always had to be home and available when these circumstances arose. If you signed a TAA Lease Contract, you've given permission to the apartment management and/or maintenance personnel to enter your apartment when you are not there for:

• responding to your request
• making repairs or replacements
• estimating repair or refurbishing costs
• performing pest control or doing preventive maintenance
• changing filters
• testing or replacing smoke detector batteries
• retrieving unreturned tools, equipment, or appliances
• preventing waste of utilities
• exercising a contractual lien (removing your non-exempt belongings if you haven't paid the rent)
• leaving notices
• delivering, installing, reconnecting, or replacing appliances, furniture, equipment, or security devices
• removing or rekeying unauthorized security devices
• removing unauthorized window coverings
• stopping excessive noise
• removing health or safety hazards (including hazardous materials), or items prohibited under our rules
• removing perishable foodstuffs if your electricity is disconnected
• removing unauthorized animals
• cutting off electricity according to statute
• retrieving property owned or leased by former residents
• inspecting when immediate danger to person or property is reasonably suspected
• allowing persons to enter as you authorized in your rental application (if you die, are incarcerated, etc.)
• allowing entry by a law officer with a search or arrest warrant, or in hot pursuit
• showing apartment to prospective residents (after move-out or vacate notice has been given)
• showing apartment to government inspectors, fire marshals, lenders, appraisers, contractors, prospective buyers, or insurance agents

Under the TAA lease, the management must leave notice of entry inside your apartment indicating that a management representative entered the apartment, and why he or she was there.

If you are at home when the management wishes to enter the apartment for any reasonable reason, the management must ask to enter peacefully and at reasonable times.

Your lease will tell you how much notice you must give if you are moving out at the end (or before the end) of the lease term. Moving out before the end of the lease term will violate the terms of the lease, and you'll be responsible for any charges outlined in the lease for being in default.

If you have renters insurance, your insurance should cover your losses, minus any deductible. If you don't have insurance, you'll be responsible for replacing or repairing your property. The property owner's insurance does not cover property belonging to residents; it only covers the property owner's belongings, buildings, etc. If the property owner or his employees negligently caused the accident, you may have grounds to recover damages from the owner, but you'll need to have legal advice.