What to check before you sign a lease in New Brunswick

Run through this before signing. It should be the Standard Form of Lease, and you are entitled to your own signed copy. Check the rent, what utilities and services are included, the term (fixed or month-to-month), and the move-in date. The deposit can be at most one month's rent and is held by the Office, not your landlord. Watch for red flags: there is no legal application fee, pet fee, or key deposit, and a landlord cannot make you pay last month's rent up front. Do a move-in inspection with photos, it is your best protection for your deposit. And never send money before you have seen the place.

Use the Standard Form of Lease and give the tenant a signed copy. Be clear about rent, included services, the term, and the move-in date. Remember you can only collect rent and one security deposit of up to a month, no application fees, pet fees, or last month up front, and the deposit goes to the Office within 15 days. A signed move-in inspection with photos protects you too if there is a deposit dispute later.