LEASE AGREEMENT The following questions are important things you should ask before signing any type of lease or rental agreement. Failure to read and understand what you are signing could jeopardize your lease agreement and your living arrangements.    Deposit Where are you going to hold my deposit? Will it earn interest? How soon after I move out will I get my deposit back? What conditions need to be met to get my deposit back?    Rent When is the rent due? Is there a grace period? What is the penalty if it is late? What is the penalty if I break the lease?   Maintenance Who should I call if the plumbing breaks or I have other problems? Is there regular pest extermination? When? When is the garbage picked up?   Not only does the landlord have responsibilities but so do you! Here are a few: Ø   You must keep your part of the premises clean and sanitary. Ø   You must remove all garbage in a clean and sanitary manner. Ø   You must keep all plumbing fixtures in the dwelling in a clean  and sanitary manner. Ø   You must use and operate all electrical, plumbing, heating,  air-conditioning, and other appliances, and elevators in a  reasonable manner. Ø   You and your guests must not unreasonably disturb your  neighbors or disturb the general peace. Ø  You must allow the landlord reasonable access to your dwelling for inspection, to make repairs or improvements, to supply services, to show the unit to prospective tenants, or to protect the premises.   The easiest way to establish a happy and comfortable relationship with your landlord is to talk about all of these issues in the beginning and do your best to be a good tenant and neighbor. However, if a dispute should arise, there are laws to protect both you and the landlord. If you do experience such problems, you can get help from Legal Aid at 954-765-8950.