Reading a US apartment lease: 8 lines that will trip up an international student
Sub-letting bans, joint-and-several liability, automatic renewal — the clauses that look standard and then cost you a deposit.
Who this is for: International students about to sign their first US apartment lease, who would like to not lose their security deposit nine months from now.
Standard US apartment leases run 30-50 pages. Most of those pages are language landlords' lawyers added after some past tenant did something specific. Most of it does not matter to you. About eight lines do, and they are the ones that catch international students every year. Here they are, in plain English, with what to do about each one.
1. Joint-and-several liability
If you sign a lease with a roommate, this clause means each of you is fully responsible for the full rent — not half. If your roommate moves out in March and stops paying their share, the landlord can sue you for the entire missing amount, not just the half. It is standard. It is also the single biggest financial risk in shared apartments. Make sure your roommate is someone you'd actually trust with that exposure.
2. Sub-letting prohibition
Most US leases either ban sub-letting outright or require landlord written consent. If you go home for the summer and try to recoup rent by Airbnb-ing your apartment or finding a sub-letter without consent, you are technically in breach. Some landlords actively look for this on Airbnb and other platforms. Penalty is usually lease termination plus loss of deposit.
3. Automatic renewal at month-to-month rates
If you do not give written notice (typically 60 days before the lease end date), most US leases automatically convert to month-to-month — usually at a 10-25% rent premium. International students who fly home in May and forget to give notice come back to a higher rent and a six-month minimum to escape it.
4. Early termination fee
Most leases allow early termination if you pay a fee (usually 2 months' rent) AND give 60 days' written notice. Crucially, both conditions usually need to be met. You cannot just pay 2 months and walk out on day one. Read the exact wording.
5. Carpet / paint replacement charges
US landlords very commonly deduct from your security deposit for things that should be normal wear-and-tear. Standard targets: small nail holes ("wall repair"), normal carpet wear ("carpet replacement"), and routine cleaning ("professional cleaning fee"). Take dated photos of every wall and the carpet on move-in day. Email them to yourself so they have a timestamp. This single act has saved dozens of our students between $300-$1,200 each on move-out.
6. Late fees + grace period
Rent is technically due on the 1st. Most US leases have a 3-5 day grace period before late fees kick in. Late fees run $50-$150 plus daily interest. This is rarely waived. Set up an autopay from your US bank account starting in your second month — the first month is usually paid by check at lease signing.
7. Guests-and-occupants clause
If you have a partner or family member visiting from home for two months, technically most leases require this to be disclosed to the landlord and (in some cases) added as an authorized occupant. In practice almost no one does this for short-term family visits. But if a long-term guest is going to receive mail at your address or stay 90+ days, it can become a lease violation.
8. Insurance requirement
An increasing number of US leases now require renters insurance ($100-200/year, easily bought through Lemonade or State Farm) with the landlord listed as an additional interested party. If you do not buy a policy and a fire happens, your landlord's insurer will pursue you for damages. Buy the policy. Email proof to the leasing office. This is the single cheapest insurance policy in your American adult life.