Question

Legally, a renter has the upper hand based on what is written on the lease, even when there was a verbal agreement only to conditions such as no penalty if a payment is a couple of days late.

a-true
b-false

Answer 1

False, the terms written in the lease typically supersede any verbal agreements between the tenant and landlord. Legal documents, including lease agreements, should be clearly written according to the Plain Writing Act of 2010.

Step-by-step explanation:

Legally, a renter's rights and obligations are dictated primarily by the content of the lease agreement, which is a binding contract between the tenant and the landlord. If the terms of the lease provide specific rules about late payments, those are the conditions that both parties are expected to follow.

A verbal agreement that deviates from the lease may be difficult to uphold in a legal dispute. Therefore, to answer the question, it is false that renters have the upper hand based on verbal agreements over what is written in the lease. Lease agreements can be complex, featuring long paragraphs and legal jargon that can be daunting to tenants, making it essential for clear and understandable language to be employed.

In fact, the Plain Writing Act of 2010 emphasizes the necessity of writing government documents, including legal agreements, in a clear manner. This is important since it aims to make the content more accessible to the average person who may not have extensive legal knowledge and may otherwise require a lawyer to interpret these documents.