Following the Supreme Court Guidelines, The Government of Tamil Nadu is giving priority to educate women in various fields of study. When it comes to women’s education, Adhiyaman Arts & Sciences College for Women, Nallampampadi is one of the well-known Arts & Science Colleges in Dharmapuri District which was established in the year, 1984. The college has a dream of flourishing women in the fields of knowledge, skills and personality. Now, the women are getting educated in various disciplines and challenging men in many fields like teaching, medical, engineering, law, fashion and more. The college has been providing the best facilities and training to train the students in various “Able to Train” Programmes that impart practical knowledge and improve students’ proficiency. The college is also training the students to face the job market.

As an Institute of Higher Education and to be more practical, here we will also get an insight into some legal aspects that would be useful for the college students who are planning to stay in a rented apartment or house. Here we will discuss the joint lease agreement.

1. Typically, what is a joint lease agreement? Do you really need to know this? If you have a friend or a group that already share apartment or house, you may have a fair bit of knowledge about joint lease. If not, here it is. A joint lease/agreement is where two or more individuals sign a single agreement with individual or group of landlords to rent and occupy a single premises together. For instance, let’s say you and your college friends and some students decided to live together. In such a case, the multiple individual will sign a single contract together. All of you will be listed as tenants in the same property. In other words, all of you will share apartment/house for study and your rent payment will be a single amount that you will share between yourselves. The deed will outline the rent cost, potential increases, expiration date, and the responsibilities of each individual. A joint lease covers a variety of living arrangements such as multiple Individuals sharing in a room, room mate, people sharing in an apartment, group of roommates, commercial rental agreement for business share and more. Often, however, the concept apply only to monthly or annual leases, but these can apply to any rental period.
2. In what scenarios would you expect to come across a joint lease agreement? A few situations we think might typically apply are as follows:
3. Some of the key legal rights you should know when you are enter into a joint lease agreement? If you are thinking about entering into a joint lease you may be wondering what your legal rights are. The following are the important rights you should know:
4. What are the risks with a joint lease agreement in your opinion? All of the tenants may have a bad day that results in a costly repairs to the apartment. Lets assume that one person accidentally breaks a few dishes or even worse….a flat screen T.V! – In that case, you should be able to pay for your share of chosen damages. However, if your roommate does not pay, or they don’t have the money, the landlord will expect the group or the other tenants to pay for the damage. If your roommate causes $1000 worth of damages, the landlord may want each person to pay $500. After examining these points you may still want to move forward with a joint lease. You’re thinking! I can afford it ! we will split the rent and other expenses! Right?
5. Here is what you should know about negotiating terms in a joint lease agreement? Every person that signs the lease should carefully read all of the lease terms. If you don’t understand something, ask question because you could be signing away your rights! For example, you should make sure that you understand how much your are responsible for in case of repairs, utilities and more. If there are any ambiguities make sure you clarify them before signing!
6. How would a joint lease agreement affect financial responsibilities on a student? In a joint lease agreement all tenants are jointly and severly responsible for fulfilling the obligation of the lease agreement. This means that the tenants are expected to work together to make all of the necessary payments and fulfill their obligations under the lease agreement.
7. How would a joint lease agreement affect the security deposit on a student? In a joint lease agreement, the tenants may or may not be required to pay a security deposit. If one tenant gets their apartment cleaned and ready to leave, then the remaining tenants are responsible for paying for the share of the security deposit.
8. Some scenarios in which a tenant could be evicted from university dorms or an apartment. A tenant may be evicted from a university dorm or apartment in the following situations:
9. How would a joint lease agreement affect evictions and possible returns of the security deposit? In a joint lease agreement, if one or more tenants fails to perform their obligations under the lease agreement, the security deposit may be withheld by the landlord until the tenants perform their obligations. In the event the landlord terminates the lease because of a tenant’s failure to perform their obligations, the security deposit may not be returned.
10. Some legal recourses students have against a landlord if he/she breaches a lease agreement. If a landlord breaks a lease agreement in the context of a joint lease, the tenant can cancel the lease and may be entitled to a refund of any prepaid rent. If a tenant has already moved into the apartment, he or she may be entitled to damages for any moving cost incurred as a result of the landlord’s inability to provide them with an apartment. If a landlord has violated a regulation such as not keeping the premises safe or free of insect, the tenant may be entitled to damages for any injuries suffered as a result of such violation. Henry v. Nobiling House, 191 N.W. 14 (Wis. 1923). If you’re a college student thinking about getting into a joint lease agreement you may be wondering what to do if your landlord or other tenants violate the lease agreement. In that case, you may want to consider the following: So remember in most cases, your landlord is not required to provide you with a rough copy, so you’ll have to purchase one yourself or look for it on the internet (as you have done for this article). Congratulations and good luck on finding a perfect apartment that is just right for you.