Article 4

What it means when you sign

This article says the relationship between a landlord and a tenant is set out in a lease contract. The contract must describe the property clearly enough to remove any uncertainty, and must state the purpose of the lease, its term, the rent and how it is paid. It must also give the owner's name if the owner is not the landlord.

The article also requires every lease of property covered by the law, and any later amendment to it, to be registered with the Institution.

When you are about to sign, this article points to the basic items a lease is expected to contain: a precise description of the unit, the permitted use, the duration, the rent and payment method, and the owner's identity where a different person is leasing it out. A lease that leaves one of these vague or blank may fall short of this article. It also means that changes made later, such as a new rent or term, belong in a registered amendment and not only in an informal understanding.