Changing a Lease or Rental Agreement
As your relationship with your landlord unfolds, you may decide that certain terms in your lease or rental agreement need to be changed. The landlord may tell you orally that they will stop enforcing that part of the lease, but you should not rely on this type of promise. You never know if the building will change ownership or if the landlord will simply change their mind, and an oral change to a written agreement is hard to enforce. Instead, you should make the change to the lease in writing so that both sides have a record of it.
Removing a Term from a Lease
To remove a term from a lease, you can simply cross out the clause on a written copy of the lease (or delete it on the computer) and write in any language that is supposed to replace it. Then, the landlord and anyone else who needs to sign the lease will initial and date the changes. This version will then be just as binding on all of the parties as the original lease.
Adding a Term to a Lease
If you only need to add a minor clause or a small amount of language to your lease, you can use the process above. If the changes to the existing lease are substantial, on the other hand, the landlord may prefer to prepare a new agreement or an amendment (sometimes known as an addendum). This new or additional agreement then will need to be signed by all of the parties before it becomes binding.
Most changes to lease or rental agreements can be accomplished without a lawyer, and it may make the most sense to simply walk away if a landlord will not agree to an important change or addition. But sometimes a tenant may wish to consult with a lawyer experienced in landlord-tenant law in their area. Justia offers a lawyer directory to simplify researching, comparing, and contacting attorneys who fit your legal needs.
Landlord - Tenant Law Center Contents
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Landlord - Tenant Law Center
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Tenants' Legal Rights & Duties
- Choosing a Place to Rent & Legal and Financial Concerns
- Understanding Leases and Rental Agreements & Their Legal Implications
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Changing a Lease or Rental Agreement
- Rent Rules and the Legal Rights & Obligations of Tenants
- Security Deposit Rules & Tenants' Legal Rights
- Inspecting a Rental Property Before Signing a Lease
- Co-Tenants' Legal Rights & Obligations on a Lease
- Subleases and Assignments by Tenants & Related Legal Concerns
- Major Repairs to Rental Property & Tenants' Legal Options
- Minor Repairs to Rental Property & Tenants' Legal Options
- Improvements, Alterations, and Fixtures on Rental Property
- Tenants' Legal Rights to Privacy
- Injuries to Tenants on Rental Property & Related Legal Claims
- Environmental Hazards on Rental Property & Enforcing Tenants' Legal Rights
- Inadequate Security at Rental Property & Tenants' Legal Options
- Terminating a Lease of Rental Property & Related Legal Rights and Obligations
- Abandoning Personal Property When Leaving a Rental Unit
- Recovering a Security Deposit When Leaving a Rental Unit
- Resolving Disputes With Your Landlord Without a Lawyer
- Responding to Legal Notices Terminating a Tenancy
- The Eviction Legal Process for Tenants
- Working With a Tenants' Rights Lawyer
- Tenants' Legal Rights & Duties — FAQs
- Landlords' Legal Rights & Duties
- Housing Discrimination Law
- Eviction Laws and Forms: 50-State Survey
- Find a Landlord Tenant Lawyer
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