Read the section on “Landlord’s Duties and Rights. It should state that the landlord must return the security deposit to you if he has no financial claims against you. The security deposit is the amount you give to your landlord along with your first rent payment in exchange for your keys. It is necessary to ensure the safety of the apartment and the landlord’s property. That is, if you have broken furniture, for example, when you move out, they will deduct the value of the damage you have done from this deposit. They will also deduct the cost of any utility bills or rent payments you are responsible for. If you did not break or damage anything, your landlord must return your deposit.

The same section should state that it is the landlord’s responsibility to fix what happened through no fault of the tenant. That is, if the apartment is flooded because of the utilities, repairs are the responsibility of the owners, not yours. Of course, if the accident was the fault of the tenant, that is yours, you yourself must eliminate the consequences.

You have responsibilities too, and they are listed in the Tenant’s Duties and Rights section. Study this section as carefully as the others, and better yet, more carefully. First, only you and the people specified in the agreement should live in the apartment. That is, if you are going to live with your husband, partner, girlfriend, aunt, be sure to specify them in the contract – otherwise the landlord will point them to the door and will be right. Also include your beloved dog or cat in the document, so they don’t suffer the same fate. The only person you can bring with you to live without informing the landlord is your minor child (refusal violates their interests). But why the extra trouble – better to mention your son or daughter, too.

If the owner allows you to rent (which is unlikely), it must also be written in the contract. If it’s not in the agreement, you are not allowed to rent the apartment or its part to someone else. Also in this clause of the contract states that the tenant can not install equipment (don’t be alarmed, you can put a microwave oven – it’s more about built-in appliances), alarms, renovations, and so on. So if you were thinking of taking down a wall to enlarge the room – forget it. If you want to make a cosmetic repair in the apartment, this too should be agreed with the landlord.

Note that the tenant of the apartment has the right only to live there. If you open a law office or a store, it would be a serious violation of both the contract and the law. If one of the parties violates the terms of the contract, it may end up in early termination, so take everything you have written seriously.

In the case where you want to terminate the contract early, the landlord can take a deaf ear and simply refuse to go through this procedure. Then you will have to act on your own, so as to protect yourself from possible claims on his part. Give your landlord a written notice stating that you are terminating your lease on these grounds as of this date (at the end of the last paid period). In the notice, warn him that if he does not show up at the apartment, you will simply move out, and put the keys in the mailbox. You should send it by registered mail with the notice and the list of enclosures. A copy of the notice, along with all the postal documents then keep – they will be useful to you in the event of a trial as proof of your actions.

If the landlord never responded, he thereby places the risk of adverse consequences on himself. Simply put, silence in this case is a sign of agreement. On the appointed day, clean the apartment, remove your belongings, lock it, put the keys in the mailbox and quietly leave. Keep all the paperwork-a rental agreement, a copy of the notice you sent with the mailing documents-for three years from now, in case the landlord suddenly decides to charge you for the rest of the period. The statute of limitations is three years.