For tenants

Lease clause checker

Paste a residential lease, or upload a text file or a PDF. The PDF is read in the browser. Pick a state. Massachusetts and Virginia get statute-specific flags. Every other state gets general national guidance.

The lease stays in this browser. It is not uploaded, not saved in an account, and not written to a server log.

Not legal advice. This checker compares lease language with published statutes and official guidance. It can miss a clause, misread a PDF, and it does not know the facts of a tenancy. A statute can change. Talk with a lawyer or a legal-aid office before you sign, refuse to sign, or withhold rent.

What it flags

• Fees
• Security deposit
• Landlord entry
• Auto-renewal
• Repairs
• Late fees
• Waivers

Each flag quotes the lease language it matched, explains the issue in plain language, cites the official statute or an official overview, and drafts a question you can send to the landlord.

Which law it uses

• Massachusetts. Security deposits, prepaid charges, entry, and late penalties follow M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B. Repair language is read against the State Sanitary Code, 105 CMR 410.000, and quiet enjoyment under § 14.
• Virginia. Flags follow the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Title 55.1, chapter 12, including deposit limits, access, prohibited provisions, and late charges.
• Every state. Fair housing, lead-paint disclosure, and servicemember waiver rules are federal. Outside Massachusetts and Virginia, the other topics are general guidance with a link to HUD’s state rental pages, not a citation that pretends to be your state’s code.

Statute text reviewed October 15, 2026.

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