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TrustLens_Sample_Apartment_Lease.pdf
Lease Agreement · Blue Mesa Residential Holdings LLC ↔ Jordan Ellis ↔ Casey Morgan · 4 pages
Biggest money exposure
Late fees: $175 on day 4, then $25 every additional day rent is unpaid — on a $1,950 rent, one month late could easily add $500–$900+ in fees alone.
Score based on: 9 high-risk findings (+15 each), 4 medium-risk findings. Lower is better.
What this is
This is a one-year residential apartment lease for Apartment 408 at 920 West Magnolia Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76104, between landlord Blue Mesa Residential Holdings LLC and tenants Jordan Ellis and Casey Morgan. The lease runs September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, at $1,950 per month.
Who it favors: This lease strongly favors the landlord. The landlord can raise rent up to 12% each renewal, change rules with 10 days' notice, decide which contract terms control in a conflict, assign the lease freely, and cap its own financial liability — while the tenant faces uncapped indemnification duties, daily late fees, a $250 repair charge even for problems the tenant didn't cause, and very limited ways to exit or dispute charges.
Where you could lose money
• Late fees: $175 on day 4, then $25 every additional day rent is unpaid — on a $1,950 rent, one month late could easily add $500–$900+ in fees alone.
• Early exit costs: 3 months' rent ($5,850) plus all unpaid charges plus possible 'concessions recapture' — and the landlord can refuse to let you out at all.
• Unintended renewal: Missing the 90-day notice deadline locks you into another full 12-month term, with rent up to 12% higher (up to $2,184/month).
• Repair charges: $250 out-of-pocket for every non-emergency repair, even damage you did not cause — no cap on how many times this applies.
• Uncapped indemnification: You agree to cover the landlord's legal costs and damages — including situations where the landlord was partly at fault — with no dollar limit stated in the lease.
Your key obligations
• Pay $1,950 rent by the 1st of each month through the landlord's online portal; a $25 fee applies for other payment methods.
• Give 90 days' written notice before August 31, 2027 (by June 2, 2027) to avoid automatic 12-month renewal.
• Maintain renters insurance with at least $100,000 in personal liability coverage and provide proof when asked.
• Dispute any charge within 5 calendar days of it appearing in the resident portal, or it is treated as correct and final.
• Pay a $2,500 security deposit; you cannot use it as your last month's rent, and vague deduction categories like 'administrative charges' make full return uncertain.
Deadlines & dates
• By June 2, 2027 (90 days before August 31, 2027): Written notice required to avoid automatic 12-month renewal.
• By the 3rd calendar day of each month (11:59 p.m.): Rent must be received or the $175 late fee plus $25/day begins.
• Within 5 calendar days of a charge appearing in the portal: You must dispute it in writing or it is deemed correct.
• 60 days' written notice required before any early termination request — and the landlord can still say no.
• 10 days after written or electronic notice: Any new landlord rule automatically becomes part of your lease.
Suggested next steps
• Ask a local tenant-rights attorney or housing counselor whether the $250 repair charge, daily late fees, and indemnification clause are enforceable under Texas law.
• Ask the landlord to clarify exactly what 'concessions recapture' means and what dollar amount it could represent before signing.
• Review what data the smart-home devices collect, how it is stored, and whether it can be shared with third parties — these details are not in the lease.
• Confirm with a professional whether the 5-day charge-dispute window and the landlord's right to decide addendum conflicts are standard or negotiable in your area.
• Ask a professional to review the arbitration clause, including the $500 upfront filing fee and the jury-trial waiver, to understand how it would affect your options if a serious dispute arises.
“Unless either party gives at least 90 days' written notice before the end of the then-current term, this Lease automatically renews for successive twelve-month periods. For each renewal term, Landlord may increase rent by up to 12% by giving notice at least 45 days before renewal.”
If you don't give 90 days' notice before your lease ends, it automatically restarts for another full year. The landlord can raise your rent by up to 12% each time it renews, and only has to tell you 45 days before that happens.
Why it matters: A 90-day notice window is longer than typical (30–60 days) and easy to miss, locking you into another 12-month term. A 12% rent increase per renewal cycle can add up significantly over time.
The long notice window combined with automatic 12-month renewal and a 12% rent increase cap creates a high risk of unintended lock-in and rising costs.
Questions to ask:
• Would you consider shortening the required notice period to 30 or 60 days?
• Is the 12% rent increase cap a maximum or a guaranteed increase each renewal?
“If full rent is not received by 11:59 p.m. on the third calendar day of the month, Tenant will owe an initial late fee of $175 plus $25 for each additional day until all rent and fees are paid, subject to applicable law.”
If your rent isn't fully paid by the end of the 3rd day of the month, you owe a $175 fee right away, plus $25 more for every single day after that until everything is paid off.
Why it matters: Daily compounding late fees can escalate very quickly — for example, a 10-day delay would add $400 on top of rent. This is a notably aggressive fee structure.
Daily compounding penalties can balloon rapidly and may be disproportionate to the actual harm of a late payment.
Questions to ask:
• Is there a cap on the total late fees that can accumulate?
• Would you consider a flat late fee instead of a daily compounding charge?
“Tenant is responsible for the first $250 of each non-emergency repair, even if Tenant did not cause the condition, except where prohibited by law.”
For any non-emergency repair, you have to pay the first $250 out of pocket — even if the problem wasn't your fault. This applies every single time a repair is needed.
Why it matters: Making tenants pay for repairs they didn't cause is unusual and potentially unfair. Multiple repairs in a year could cost you hundreds of dollars for issues beyond your control.
Charging tenants for repairs they did not cause is a significant and uncommon financial burden that may conflict with landlord obligations under applicable law.
Questions to ask:
• Can you provide examples of non-emergency repairs this would apply to?
• Does this provision comply with Texas landlord repair and remedy statutes?
“To the fullest extent permitted by law, Tenant agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Landlord, its owners, managers, employees, and agents from all claims, losses, liabilities, damages, penalties, and expenses, including attorneys' fees, arising from Tenant's occupancy or use of the premises, including claims caused in part by the negligence of Landlord, except to the extent such obligation is prohibited by applicable law.”
You agree to pay the landlord's legal costs and cover any losses they face — even if the landlord was partly at fault. This is a very broad promise that could cost you a lot of money.
Why it matters: Requiring a tenant to cover claims caused in part by the landlord's own negligence is highly one-sided and unusual in a residential lease. This could expose you to significant unexpected costs.
Indemnifying the landlord for their own partial negligence is an unusually broad obligation that could result in uncapped financial liability for the tenant.
Questions to ask:
• Would you remove or limit the indemnification for claims caused by the landlord's own negligence?
• Is this indemnification clause enforceable under Texas residential tenancy law?
“To the fullest extent permitted by law, Landlord will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from this Lease or conditions at the premises. Any monetary liability of Landlord related to this Lease is limited to the amount of rent Tenant paid during the three months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.”
The landlord's financial responsibility to you is capped at just three months of your rent, no matter how serious the problem is. They also won't pay for any indirect losses you suffer.
Why it matters: This cap is very low and one-sided — the tenant has broad indemnification obligations to the landlord, but the landlord's liability to the tenant is strictly limited.
The combination of a low liability cap on the landlord and broad indemnification obligations on the tenant creates a severely imbalanced risk allocation.
Questions to ask:
• Why is the landlord's liability capped at three months' rent while the tenant's obligations are uncapped?
• Would you consider raising the liability cap or making it mutual?
“Tenant may request early termination by giving 60 days' written notice and paying an early termination charge equal to three months' rent, all unpaid charges, and any applicable concessions recapture. Landlord is not required to approve an early termination request unless applicable law provides otherwise.”
If you want to leave early, you must give 60 days' notice and pay three months' rent as a fee, plus any other amounts you owe. The landlord doesn't have to let you out of the lease at all.
Why it matters: Three months' rent as an early termination fee is on the high end, and the landlord retaining the right to simply refuse the request makes early exit very difficult and expensive.
The landlord's ability to refuse early termination entirely, combined with a three-month fee, gives the tenant very little flexibility to exit the lease.
Questions to ask:
• Under what circumstances, if any, would you waive or reduce the early termination fee?
• Does the landlord have a duty to mitigate by re-renting the unit after early termination?
“Except for eviction, possession, or claims that may not lawfully be arbitrated, any dispute arising out of this Lease shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration. Tenant and Landlord waive trial by jury and agree not to participate in a class or representative action. Arbitration costs will be allocated under the administrator's rules, except that Tenant must initially pay the first $500 of filing and administrative fees unless prohibited by law.”
If you have a dispute with the landlord, you must use private arbitration instead of going to court, and you give up your right to a jury trial. You also can't join with other tenants in a group lawsuit, and you must pay the first $500 in arbitration fees.
Why it matters: Mandatory arbitration with a class action waiver limits your legal options significantly. The $500 upfront fee could deter tenants from pursuing legitimate smaller claims.
Waiving jury trial rights and class action participation, combined with an upfront fee burden on the tenant, substantially limits the tenant's ability to seek legal remedies.
Questions to ask:
• Which arbitration administrator's rules would govern, and where can I find them?
• Would you consider removing the class action waiver?
“If Tenant disputes any charge, Tenant must notify Landlord within five calendar days after the charge appears in the resident portal or the charge is conclusively deemed correct.”
If you think a charge on your account is wrong, you have only five days to say so in writing. If you miss that window, the charge is automatically treated as correct and you lose the right to dispute it.
Why it matters: A five-day dispute window is extremely short and could cause you to lose the right to challenge incorrect charges simply because you didn't check the portal in time.
A five-day window to dispute charges, after which they are 'conclusively deemed correct,' is a very short and one-sided waiver of your right to contest billing errors.
Questions to ask:
• Would you consider extending the dispute window to 30 days?
• What happens if I am traveling or ill and miss the five-day window?
“If any conflict exists between an addendum and this Lease, Landlord may determine which provision controls.”
If there is a contradiction between the main lease and any addendum, the landlord alone gets to decide which one wins — not a neutral party or a court.
Why it matters: Giving one party the sole power to resolve contract conflicts is highly unusual and removes an important protection for the tenant in case of a dispute.
Allowing the landlord to unilaterally decide which conflicting provision controls eliminates a key tenant protection and creates significant potential for abuse.
Questions to ask:
• Would you agree to a standard rule that addenda supersede the main lease, or vice versa?
• Has a lawyer reviewed whether this provision is enforceable under Texas law?
“Tenant shall pay a security deposit of $2,500. Landlord may apply the deposit to unpaid rent, cleaning, damage beyond ordinary wear, missing items, administrative charges, or other sums Tenant owes. Tenant may not apply the deposit to the final month's rent.”
You pay a $2,500 deposit upfront. The landlord can use it for unpaid rent, cleaning, damage, missing items, or other charges you owe. You cannot use it as your last month's rent.
Why it matters: The broad list of items the deposit can be applied to — including 'administrative charges' and 'other sums' — gives the landlord wide discretion in how it is used.
Vague categories like 'administrative charges' and 'other sums' make it hard to predict what deductions might be taken from your deposit.
Questions to ask:
• What specific administrative charges could be deducted from the deposit?
“Landlord may install smart locks, leak sensors, thermostats, or similar building-management devices. Tenant shall not disable them. Landlord may receive operational data from such devices for property management, safety, and maintenance purposes.”
The landlord can install smart devices in your apartment and collect data from them. You are not allowed to turn these devices off, and the landlord can use the data they generate.
Why it matters: Smart devices can collect information about your daily routines and habits. The lease does not specify what data is collected, how long it is kept, or who it is shared with.
There are no limits stated on what data is collected, how it is stored, or whether it could be shared with third parties.
Questions to ask:
• What specific data do these devices collect, and how long is it retained?
“Landlord may adopt or modify reasonable rules concerning parking, amenities, package delivery, security, trash, pets, smoking, noise, and property operations by providing written or electronic notice. A rule becomes part of this Lease 10 days after notice unless a longer period is required by law.”
The landlord can create or change community rules and those new rules automatically become part of your lease just 10 days after they notify you — even if you disagree with them.
Why it matters: This gives the landlord broad power to change the terms of your living situation with very little notice and without your agreement, which is unusual.
Unilateral rule changes that automatically become part of the lease with only 10 days' notice could significantly alter your obligations without your consent.
Questions to ask:
• Is there any limit on what kinds of rules can be added or changed?
“Landlord may assign this Lease without Tenant's consent, but Tenant may not assign or sublease without Landlord's written approval and a $750 review fee.”
The landlord can transfer ownership of this lease to someone else without asking you, but you cannot sublease or transfer your lease to anyone without the landlord's permission and a $750 fee.
Why it matters: This is a one-sided arrangement — the landlord has full freedom to assign the lease while the tenant faces both a permission requirement and a fee to do the same.
The asymmetry between the landlord's unrestricted assignment right and the tenant's fee-based, approval-required process is notably one-sided.
Questions to ask:
• If the landlord assigns the lease to a new owner, are all existing lease terms preserved?
“Monthly rent is $1,950, due in advance on the first day of each month. Rent must be paid through Landlord's designated electronic payment portal. A $25 processing charge may apply to payments made by another method. Landlord may change the payment portal upon notice.”
Rent of $1,950 is due on the 1st of each month and must be paid through the landlord's online portal. Using any other payment method may cost you an extra $25, and the landlord can switch portals at any time.
Why it matters: Restricting payment to one portal and allowing the landlord to change it without your agreement could create confusion or missed payments. The $25 fee discourages alternative payment methods.
The landlord's ability to unilaterally change the payment portal could cause accidental late payments if notice is missed.
Questions to ask:
• How much advance notice will you provide before changing the payment portal?
“Tenant must maintain renters insurance with at least $100,000 in personal liability coverage and provide proof upon request. Landlord is not an insurer of Tenant's personal property.”
You are required to have renters insurance with at least $100,000 in liability coverage and must show proof if asked. The landlord is not responsible for protecting your belongings.
Why it matters: Requiring renters insurance is common and generally protects both parties. The $100,000 liability minimum is standard for most renters insurance policies.
This is a standard requirement, though failure to maintain coverage could put you in default of the lease.
Questions to ask:
• What happens if I let my renters insurance lapse — is that considered a lease default?
“No animal may be kept on the premises without Landlord's prior written approval, except as otherwise required by law. For an approved pet, Tenant shall pay a $500 non-refundable pet fee and $50 monthly pet rent per animal.”
You need written permission to have any pet. If approved, you pay a one-time $500 non-refundable fee plus $50 extra per month for each pet. Service and assistance animals may be treated differently under law.
Why it matters: The $500 non-refundable fee plus ongoing monthly pet rent can add significant cost. The carve-out for legally required accommodations is important for service and emotional support animals.
Pet fees at this level are common, though the non-refundable nature of the fee means you won't recover it even if your pet causes no damage.
Questions to ask:
• Does the 'except as otherwise required by law' language cover emotional support animals under fair housing rules?
“Tenant is in default if Tenant fails to pay rent or other sums when due, materially violates this Lease or community rules, provides materially false information, abandons the premises, or engages in unlawful conduct. Landlord may exercise remedies available under this Lease and applicable law. Tenant is responsible for reasonable collection costs and attorneys' fees to the extent permitted by law.”
You can be considered in default for missing payments, breaking lease rules, lying on your application, abandoning the apartment, or illegal activity. The landlord can then pursue legal remedies, and you may owe their collection and legal costs.
Why it matters: The default triggers are broad, and being responsible for the landlord's attorneys' fees adds financial risk if a dispute escalates to legal action.
While the default triggers are fairly standard, the attorneys' fees obligation adds financial exposure in the event of a dispute.
Questions to ask:
• Is the attorneys' fees obligation mutual, or does it only apply against the tenant?
“This Lease is governed by the laws applicable where the premises are located. If a provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain effective to the extent permitted by law.”
The laws of the state and city where the apartment is located govern this lease. If one part of the lease is found to be illegal, the rest of the lease still applies.
Why it matters: This is a standard governing law clause. It means Texas law applies, which provides certain tenant protections you should be aware of.
Questions to ask:
• Are there any local Fort Worth ordinances that provide additional tenant protections beyond state law?
This analysis is decision support, not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney before signing or relying on this document.