Lease & Contract Reviewer

---
name: lease-contract-reviewer
description: Review a residential lease, lease renewal, sublease, or everyday consumer contract (gym, service agreement, subscription, rental agreement) and flag unfavorable, unusual, or likely unenforceable terms, using the renter's state and city tenant laws. Use this whenever someone shares a lease or contract, asks "should I sign this", "is this normal", or "is this legal", asks about security deposits, broker fees, late fees, rent increases, early termination, auto-renewal, or their rights as a tenant, even if they only paste one clause.
---

# Lease & Contract Reviewer

Last verified: September 2026. This skill gives information, not legal advice. Tenant law varies by state and often by city, and changes frequently.

## Why this skill exists

People sign leases under time pressure, often without reading them, and many leases contain clauses that are one-sided or not even enforceable where the tenant lives. A reviewer who knows the local rules can tell someone what's normal, what's negotiable, what's probably illegal, and what to ask before signing.

## Step 1: Establish context

Find out:
- **Location**: state *and* city. Cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, and Washington, DC add major protections.
- **Status**: not yet signed, already signed, renewal, or a dispute mid-lease
- **Unit type**: apartment building, single-family home, room in a shared unit, owner-occupied building, rent-stabilized or rent-controlled unit, subsidized housing
- **What they care about**: pets, subletting, breaking the lease early, roommates, working from home, move-in date

## Step 2: Load the law

Read `references/state-tenant-law.md`. If the state is covered, use it as a starting point and verify anything decisive. If the state isn't covered, or the city has local rules, research official sources: the state's statutes on residential tenancies, the state attorney general's or housing agency's tenant guide, and the city's housing department. Tell the user which sources you checked and when.

Don't apply one state's rules to another state by analogy.

## Step 3: Extract key terms

Summarize the lease in a table so the person can see the deal at a glance:

| Term | What the lease says |
|---|---|
| Rent, due date, grace period | |
| Lease start, end, renewal terms | |
| Security deposit and other move-in payments | |
| Fees: application, broker, amenity, admin, pet, parking | |
| Late fees | |
| Utilities and who pays | |
| Rent increase terms | |
| Early termination / lease break | |
| Subletting and roommates | |
| Pets | |
| Repairs and maintenance responsibilities | |
| Landlord entry | |
| Move-out requirements (cleaning, painting, notice) | |

## Step 4: Flag clauses

Go through the full document. Sort each flagged clause into one of three levels:

**🔴 Likely unenforceable or illegal where they live.** Common examples depending on state:
- Waiving the warranty of habitability or the landlord's duty to make repairs
- Deposits or fees above the legal cap, or non-refundable "deposits" where not allowed
- Late fees above the statutory cap or charged before a required grace period
- Waiving the right to notice before eviction, or allowing lockouts or utility shutoffs ("self-help" eviction)
- Landlord entry anytime without notice
- Tenant pays all attorney's fees but landlord doesn't (many states make these reciprocal)
- Automatic deposit forfeiture for normal wear and tear
- Banning a roommate where state law protects one (e.g., New York)
- Broker fees charged to a tenant who didn't hire the broker (NYC, since 2025)

**🟡 Legal but unfavorable, worth negotiating:**
- Automatic renewal with a long or early notice window
- Large early termination penalties, or no lease-break option
- Tenant responsible for all repairs or appliances
- Rent increases built into the lease, or rent "concessions" that make the renewal jump
- Broad "rules and regulations may change at any time" language
- Mandatory renter's insurance with high minimums, or required use of a specific vendor
- Professional cleaning or repainting required at move-out regardless of condition
- No subletting at all

**🟢 Notably tenant-friendly:** point these out too so the review is balanced.

For each flag, quote the clause briefly, explain the issue in plain language, cite the rule if applicable, and suggest a redline or question.

## Step 5: Consumer contracts

For non-lease contracts (gyms, services, subscriptions, rentals of equipment or cars), focus on:
- **Auto-renewal and cancellation**: how to cancel, notice windows, and whether cancellation must be as easy as signup. Several states, including California and New York, have automatic renewal laws. The FTC's federal "click-to-cancel" rule was vacated by a federal appeals court in 2025, so protection now depends mainly on state law.
- **Fees**: early termination, "annual maintenance" fees, price increase rights
- **Arbitration clauses and class action waivers**: usually enforceable; note any opt-out window, which often has a short deadline
- **Liability waivers and indemnification**
- **Personal guarantee** or automatic payment authorization

## Output format

1. **Bottom line**: two or three sentences. Sign as is / negotiate first / get help before signing.
2. **Key terms table**
3. **Flags**: 🔴 then 🟡 then 🟢, each with quote, explanation, rule, suggested redline
4. **Questions to ask the landlord or company**
5. **Suggested email** requesting changes, if there are negotiable items
6. **Sources checked** and the date
7. **Where to get help**: local tenant rights organization, legal aid, city housing agency, or a landlord-tenant attorney for high stakes situations

## Don't

- Don't say a clause is definitely illegal unless the rule is clear and verified. Use "likely unenforceable under [rule]; confirm with a local tenant organization or attorney."
- Don't tell someone to withhold rent or break a lease as a tactic without explaining the legal risks and local procedures; the rules for doing it safely are strict.
- An unenforceable clause in a signed lease usually doesn't void the whole lease. Explain that the specific clause may not be enforceable.