Once You've Signed the Lease

Congratulations! You’ve signed on for your first apartment. Before you leave the office, don’t forget to have a copy made of all the documents for your own files. It’s important to have all contracts stored in a safe place for easy reference. I moved in to one apartment with the understanding that I would be allowed to have pets. My roommate and I filled out and signed a form specifying how many pets we planned to have and of what kind. After I got my cat, the property manager told me no pets allowed. Fortunately, they did not enforce that rule, but it was a relief to know that I had a copy of that contract in my files if the need ever arose.