The annual documents for releasing apartments have started to flood regular and electronic mailboxes across Ames. Leasing companies are beginning to fight for new and old renters due to the increasing population size of the campus area and Ames in general.

In a fury to grab the cheapest apartment with as many benefits as possible, it’s important to read the lease that you are signing from beginning to end. There are many problems that can arise during the length of your lease that can get renters into a lot of trouble.

College students tend to be more concerned with who is going to be their roommates and how many beers fit in the refrigerator rather than whether or not their contract says they can have pets or how many cars are allowed to be parked in the driveway.

Reading the lease is a simple fix for some of the largest questions people have. Getting a fine for having candles lit because you forgot to read your lease is ridiculous. The situation gets trickier when people are moving from one leasing company to another.

The most popular time for students to sign their leases the for following year is in the fall, and many months pass between when you sign the lease and when you actually move into your new home. Reading and remembering your move-in dates is important because this ensures that you will not be spending the night, or a couple of nights, on a friend’s couch. Leasing agencies do not all have the same move-in dates. While some leasing agencies will let you move in as soon as your last contract ends not everyone will be so lucky.

One of the biggest problems Ames renters have is the argument of when their lease ends. Some contracts within Ames start Aug. 26 and end Aug. 1. If you decide to renew your lease for another year with the same company, you’re able to stay in the same building and apartment without moving out.

However, if you want to live in apartment A for one year and move to apartment B a year later, you may be “homeless” for nearly a month. Some renting companies will demand you be moved out by July 31, even if your apartment B contract doesn’t allow you to move in until Aug. 26. Many renters will complain to their leasing companies about the unfair terms. 

While some may view these clauses within the leases as unfair it is the renter’s responsibility to know what is in each lease, depending on where he or she wants to live. Do not skim through the lease or disregard the fine print because you are excited about living with your friends.

It is important for students to know how to choose an apartment based on their needs. If you have a pet and move into a unit that does not allow pets, you have to be responsible enough to set up accommodations with someone to take your pet while you are living in your new place. The same goes for finding out the move-in and move-out dates. It is not your leasing company’s job to hold your hand and find you a place to live when you cannot live in your new place. Read the lease and plan accordingly. Don’t be left out in the summer heat because you got too excited.