{"id":10419,"date":"2020-01-06T10:56:02","date_gmt":"2020-01-06T09:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/?p=10419"},"modified":"2020-01-07T11:11:34","modified_gmt":"2020-01-07T10:11:34","slug":"mistakes-signing-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/mistakes-signing-contract\/","title":{"rendered":"Signing a Rental Contract and What Mistakes to Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Every <strong>rental contract<\/strong> has its own elements and characteristics, and anyone who is about to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/long-term-rental\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>rent an apartment<\/strong><\/a> should always be very cautious. Unfortunately, no matter how much attention you are paying to the whole process, you might still be in for an unpleasant surprise&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">So today, the team from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\"><strong>ShMadrid<\/strong><\/a> has made a list of the most often made mistakes when signing a rental contract.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/long-term-accommodation-madrid\/\">Long-Term Accommodation in Madrid<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Index<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/mistakes-signing-contract\/#discover-what-mistakes-you-can-avoid-when-signing-a-rental-contract\" title=\"Discover what mistakes you can avoid when signing a rental contract\">Discover what mistakes you can avoid when signing a rental contract<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/mistakes-signing-contract\/#forgetting-to-check-if-the-landlord-really-is-the-property-owner\" title=\"Forgetting to check if the landlord really is the property owner\">Forgetting to check if the landlord really is the property owner<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/mistakes-signing-contract\/#not-knowing-if-a-real-estate-agency-is-taking-care-of-the-rental-contract\" title=\"Not knowing if a real estate agency is taking care of the rental contract\">Not knowing if a real estate agency is taking care of the rental contract<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/mistakes-signing-contract\/#not-negotiating-with-the-landlord\" title=\"Not negotiating with the landlord\">Not negotiating with the landlord<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/mistakes-signing-contract\/#agreeing-on-an-oral-contract-and-not-a-written-one\" title=\"Agreeing on an oral contract and not a written one\">Agreeing on an oral contract and not a written one<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/mistakes-signing-contract\/#not-reading-every-detail-in-the-rental-contract\" title=\"Not reading every detail in the rental contract\">Not reading every detail in the rental contract<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/mistakes-signing-contract\/#not-signing-every-page-of-a-rental-contract\" title=\"Not signing every page of a rental contract\">Not signing every page of a rental contract<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"discover-what-mistakes-you-can-avoid-when-signing-a-rental-contract\"><\/span>Discover what mistakes you can avoid when signing a rental contract<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"forgetting-to-check-if-the-landlord-really-is-the-property-owner\"><\/span>Forgetting to check if the landlord really is the property owner<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_10420\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/error_opt-300x200.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10420\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10420\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/error_opt-300x200-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"living and dining room in beige colours\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10420\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo via Pixabay<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Most of the time the owner of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/advantages-buying-property-salamanca\/\"><strong>property<\/strong><\/a> is the one who rents it out. It is, however,\u00a0 possible that other people try to rent it out, and these may be people who are not even related to the property itself or the owner.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another problem could arise after an inheritance or divorce, because there may have been a change in ownership, which means the property <strong>cannot<\/strong> <strong>be legally put up for rent<\/strong> anymore.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you want to be absolutely sure and avoid problems, go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.madrid.es\/portales\/munimadrid\/es\/Inicio\/Contacto\/Direcciones-y-telefonos\/Registro-de-la-Propiedad\/?vgnextfmt=default&amp;vgnextoid=6b4792355c51c010VgnVCM2000000c205a0aRCRD&amp;vgnextchannel=bfa48ab43d6bb410VgnVCM100000171f5a0aRCRD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><strong><em>Registro de la Propiedad<\/em><\/strong><\/a> (the Spanish Land Registry) and ask for a <strong><em>nota simple<\/em><\/strong> to find out if the property owner is the exact same person who wants to rent it out.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The law usually sides with the tenant in the case of fraud, but once you have paid money in advance as a guarantee, it is very complicated to get that back.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"not-knowing-if-a-real-estate-agency-is-taking-care-of-the-rental-contract\"><\/span>Not knowing if a real estate agency is taking care of the rental contract<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/yearly-rental\"><strong>rental<\/strong><\/a> contract is arranged by an agency, the tenant should always check what their fees are. Normally the property owner pays for these expenses, but some <a href=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/changes-mortgage-law-2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>real estate<\/strong><\/a> agencies also charge the tenant with an extra fee.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is good to know what you are paying exactly, before this impacts your budget or savings account.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"not-negotiating-with-the-landlord\"><\/span>Not negotiating with the landlord<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nowadays landlords can get themselves into compromising situations because some people simply refuse to pay their rent or tenants don&#8217;t take good care of the property they have rented.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Once a <strong>landlord<\/strong> has decided to rent out his <strong>second home<\/strong>, he wants to sign a contract with a safe and reliable tenant, even if the rental price agreed upon is lower than mentioned in the original advertisement. Every property owner prefers this, rather than having an empty apartment and not making any profit.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/requirements-rent-madrid\/\">Requirements to Rent an Apartment in Madrid<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"agreeing-on-an-oral-contract-and-not-a-written-one\"><\/span>Agreeing on an oral contract and not a written one<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_10421\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/error-I_opt-300x200.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10421\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10421\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/error-I_opt-300x200-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"large apartment building\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-10421\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo via Pixabay<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The law states both written and oral contracts are legally binding. However, an oral agreement between a landlord and a tenant is much more difficult to prove.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the case of an oral agreement, either party could be of bad faith and decide not to proceed on the basis of what had originally been agreed upon.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"not-reading-every-detail-in-the-rental-contract\"><\/span>Not reading every detail in the rental contract<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Not fully reading a contract is a mistake many people make. <strong>Clauses<\/strong> are usually agreed upon in advance, and sometimes we make the mistake to assume they will automatically be a part of the rental contract.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In order to be absolutely sure, you must always check every word that is written down on paper, because this is the only way you can really know the <strong>content of a contract<\/strong> you are about to sign.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"not-signing-every-page-of-a-rental-contract\"><\/span>Not signing every page of a rental contract<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We recommended signing each and every page that is part of the rental agreement. This is the only way you can assure yourself your contract is not messed with. Sometimes there have been modifications without a tenant knowing, like removing or adding certain clauses that may be of a disadvantage to either party.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>What other mistakes are you aware of when signing a rental agreement?<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"\n    class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-valign-bottom kksr-align-center kksr-disabled\"\n    data-id=\"10419\"\n    data-slug=\"\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-legend\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\"><\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every rental contract has its own elements and characteristics, and anyone who is about to rent an apartment should always be very cautious. Unfortunately, no matter how much attention you are paying to the whole process, you might still be in for an unpleasant surprise&#8230; So today, the team from ShMadrid has made a list [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":318,"featured_media":10422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1333],"tags":[2267,2266,2265,2268],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10419"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/318"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10419"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10446,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10419\/revisions\/10446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}