What to check in a New Orleans lease before you sign

1. Is the rent on the lease the rent you were quoted? Read the number, the due date, the late fee and the grace period. Any "admin," "amenity" or "application" fee that was not on the listing goes in the lease or it does not exist.
2. When does the deposit come back? In Louisiana a landlord has one month after you move out to return the deposit or send an itemized list of what was kept. Get the move-in condition in writing, with photos, the day you get keys.
3. Which utilities are yours? Power and gas from Entergy, water from the Sewerage and Water Board, internet, trash. Ask for the last twelve months of bills; an old, uninsulated half of a double can cost $200 a month in summer.
4. How does renewal work? Some leases roll over to month to month, some renew for a full year unless you give notice by a date. Find that date and put it in your calendar. For month-to-month, Louisiana notice is short, so read the exact days.
5. Can you hand the lease to someone else? If you might study abroad or graduate in December, you need the subletting and assignment clause now. Louisiana leases can allow or forbid it; the lease decides. Get any takeover approval in writing.
6. Is it a ground floor, and what happens when it rains? Ask directly whether the unit has flooded and whether the street floods in a heavy storm. Check the address on FEMA's flood map. Ask who pays for a car parked on the street.
7. Who fixes what, and how fast? Air conditioning in August is not optional. Find the repair clause, how you report a problem, and whether you can pay for a repair and deduct it if the landlord does not act.
8. What does "joint and several" mean for your group? On most group leases every tenant is responsible for all the rent. If a roommate leaves, the rest of you owe their share until the lease ends.
9. Do you need renters insurance? Many leases require it. A student policy from a phone takes a few minutes and covers your stuff, not the building.
10. Who signs, and who co-signs? If a parent co-signs, they should read the whole lease too. Off Uptown lets a co-signer read the lease before anyone tours, so ask the landlord for a copy up front.

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