# Worked Example — Lease Decoder

## The brief

Maya, moving to Austin for a new job, pastes a 14-page lease for a $1,850/mo one-bedroom: 12-month term, $1,850 deposit, and asks "is this normal? I need to sign by Friday." She mentions she might get transferred again within the year.

## The output

### Lease Decode: 2200 Rio Vista Apt 4B

**1. The one-paragraph verdict** — **Negotiate first.** The rent and deposit are market-normal, but §14 auto-renews you into a *full second year* unless you give 60 days' notice, and §9's early-termination fee (two months' rent + forfeited deposit ≈ **$5,550**) is exactly the clause that will hurt someone who may transfer. Two asks fix most of it.

**2. Clause-by-clause decode**

| Clause (§) | What it says | What it means for you | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|
| §9 Early termination | "Two (2) months' rent plus forfeiture of deposit" | Leaving in month 8 costs ~$5,550 — not the "just find a subletter" you might assume; §11 also bans subletting | 🔴 |
| §14 Renewal | "Renews for a like term absent 60 days' written notice" | Silence in month 10 = committed through month 24 | 🔴 |
| §17 Deposit return | "Professional cleaning receipts required; carpet cleaning mandatory" | Two conditions written to fail you — receipts or they deduct | 🔴 |
| §12 Entry | "Entry with 24 hours' notice for inspection or showing" | Normal notice period; "showing" during your last 60 days is standard | 🟢 |
| §8 Repairs | "Tenant responsible for drain blockages and filter changes" | Minor burden-shift; big-ticket items stay landlord-side | 🟡 |
| §20 Rules changes | "Rules may be amended at management's discretion" | Unilateral changes — push for "reasonable, with 30 days' notice" | 🟡 |

**3. 🚩 Red flags, ranked**
1. **§9 + §11 together** — "two months' rent plus deposit forfeiture" with no sublet option. Worst case: transfer in month 6 costs **$5,550**. Fix to ask: replace with a re-rental clause ("liability ends when a replacement tenant signs; landlord markets promptly").
2. **§14 auto-renewal** — "renews for a like term." Worst case: a forgotten email in April binds you to April *next year*. Fix: month-to-month rollover after the initial term.
3. **§17 deposit conditions** — "professional cleaning receipts." Worst case: $300–500 deducted despite a clean apartment. Fix: strike "professional," substitute "returned in the condition received, normal wear excepted" — *often unenforceable as written — ask a local tenant org; enforceability varies by jurisdiction.*

**4. Exit & deposit math** — Early exit today: 2 × $1,850 + $1,850 deposit = **$5,550**. After the asks above: ~1 month of overlap rent while re-rented, deposit intact.

**5. Questions to ask before signing** — 1) "Will you replace §9 with a re-rental clause? I may be transferred." 2) "Can renewal be month-to-month after year one?" 3) "What was deducted from the last tenant's deposit?" 4) "Is the 60-day notice window calendar-tracked anywhere you send reminders?"

**6. What's negotiable** — Early-termination terms (routinely amended for corporate transfers), auto-renewal → month-to-month, the word "professional" in cleaning clauses. The rent itself, mid-market at $1,850, probably isn't.

*"This is a plain-language reading, not legal/financial advice — laws vary by jurisdiction; confirm anything load-bearing with a qualified professional."*

## Why it's shaped this way

- **The verdict names the two clauses that matter for HER situation** (possible transfer) — the skill demands triage against the user's stated priorities, not a generic tour.
- **Break math is computed to the dollar ($5,550), twice** — the skill bans "described vaguely"; a number is what changes a signing decision.
- **§12 entry is marked 🟢 on purpose** — the anti-patterns forbid all-alarm decodes; boilerplate marked safe is what makes the red flags credible.
- **The unenforceability note refers out** ("ask a local tenant org") rather than declaring the clause void — jurisdiction rules are flagged, never universalized.
- **Every red flag carries the fix to ask for, in quotable words** — the deliverable is negotiating leverage, not anxiety.
- **The disclaimer appears verbatim** — mandatory in every decoder artifact.