Read a lease. Flag what matters.
The clauses landlords tuck into a 12-page lease that will cost you specifically. This prompt finds them.
You have a lease in front of you. It's 12 pages, and you'd like to know what's normal vs what's a red flag before you sign. This prompt reads it with a tenant's interests in mind and flags the specific clauses.
THE PROMPT
Read this lease as if you were representing a tenant. Paste the lease below. Return exactly: **Standard — no action needed** List the clauses that are typical for a residential lease in this jurisdiction. Just names, no explanation. **Worth negotiating** Clauses that are common but often negotiable, with the specific ask I could make (change wording to X, cap at Y, add exception for Z). **Red flags — do not sign without changes** Clauses that are unusually landlord-favorable or that override protections in this jurisdiction. For each: (1) quote the clause, (2) explain in one sentence what it will cost me, (3) draft the specific redline I should send back. **Questions to ask before signing** Things not addressed in the lease that I should get clarity on in writing (via email, so I have a record): parking, mail, guest policy, appliance repair responsibility, notice format. Assume I'm in the jurisdiction named at the top of the lease (or ask if unclear). Don't tell me to "consult an attorney" as your main response — you're the first pass. Lease: [PASTE LEASE HERE]
**Standard**
- 12-month term, rent due 1st, 5-day grace period, standard use-and-occupancy clause.
**Worth negotiating**
- §4 (Security deposit): $3,600 is 2x monthly rent — CA caps at 2x for unfurnished, so at the max. Ask: return timeline reduced from 21 to 14 days.
- §11 (Rent increase notice): 30 days for any amount — ask to make it 60 days for increases > 5%.
**Red flags**
- §14 "Tenant agrees to be responsible for all repairs to appliances regardless of cause."
Cost: a $2,000 dishwasher failure due to normal wear is on you.
Redline: "Tenant is responsible for repairs caused by tenant negligence. Landlord is responsible for repairs due to normal wear, aging, or manufacturer defect."
- §22 "Landlord may enter premises with 12 hours notice."
Cost: less than the 24-hour statutory minimum in CA. Legally unenforceable but bad-faith.
Redline: "Landlord shall provide at least 24 hours written notice before non-emergency entry, per California Civil Code §1954."
**Questions to ask**
- Is renter's insurance required? What minimum coverage?
- What's the specific process for repair requests — email address, response SLA?
- Guest policy — how many nights before a guest is considered a resident?