Adam Bothun

You leased a car two years ago and loved it at first. Then you moved closer to work, started a family, or simply want something different. The lease has eighteen months left, and the early termination fee looks painful. A lease transfer might be your way out. Transferring a car lease means handing the remaining … Read more

You hand over a rent check, the landlord nods, and life moves on. Six months later the landlord claims you never paid for March. Without a receipt, it is your word against theirs, and that is a fight you do not want. Rent receipts are small pieces of proof that carry outsized weight. They document … Read more

Rent is due, payday is still two days away, and your bank account is short by a few hundred dollars. You wonder if you can pay what you have now and send the rest later. It sounds reasonable. Your landlord, however, may see it very differently. Partial rent payments sit in a gray area of … Read more

Your lease says rent is due on the first of the month. This month, the first falls on a Sunday. Your landlord’s office is closed, your bank does not process transfers on weekends, and you are not sure whether paying on Monday counts as late. It is a small question with real consequences, because late … Read more

Rent is usually the biggest bill you pay each month. For years, all that money disappeared without doing anything for your credit score. You could pay rent perfectly for a decade and have nothing to show for it on your credit report, while a single missed credit card payment would drag your score down. That … Read more

Working from home has changed how millions of Americans earn a living. But there is a difference between working remotely for an employer and running your own business out of a rental. If you are thinking about starting a business from your apartment or rental house, your lease and local zoning laws have a say … Read more

Smart home devices are everywhere now. Video doorbells, smart thermostats, voice assistants, and smart locks promise convenience and energy savings. But when you live in a rental, a natural question comes up. What are you actually allowed to install in a home you do not own? The answer is more encouraging than many renters expect. … Read more

Package theft has become one of the most frustrating parts of apartment living. You order something online, the carrier marks it delivered, and then it vanishes from your doorstep before you get home. Porch pirates are not limited to porches anymore, and apartment hallways, lobbies, and mailrooms are prime targets. When a package disappears, the … Read more

Garbage duty is one of those everyday details that rarely comes up until something goes wrong. A missed pickup, an overflowing dumpster, or a fine from the city can quickly turn into an argument about who was supposed to handle it. The answer is not always obvious, and it depends on your lease, your property … Read more

Smoking rules are among the most consequential clauses in a modern lease, and also among the most misunderstood. Tenants are often surprised to learn that a landlord can ban smoking entirely, including inside a unit the tenant pays for. Smokers are equally surprised to learn that a lease that says nothing about smoking does not … Read more