Lease Clause Scanner

Paste your lease (or answer 12 quick questions) and get a plain-English review of the clauses most likely to cause disputes, scare off good tenants, or fall apart when you need them. Built on general landlord-tenant principles — not your state's statutes.

Quick answer: Paste your complete lease and the scanner checks 16 clause patterns that commonly cause disputes — including late fees, entry rights, repair duties, and deposit terms. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere. A flag means a clause is worth professional review, not that it is illegal in your state.

For informational purposes only — not legal advice, and not a legal determination about your lease. This tool matches text patterns against a principle-based checklist; it cannot read intent, context, or your state's law. Expect both false alarms and missed issues. Lease enforceability varies by state and locality and changes over time. Have a local landlord-tenant attorney review your final lease before anyone signs it.
How to read these results: flags are sorted by review priority — High priority means get an attorney's eyes on it before signing; Worth a second look means clarify or tighten the language; Best practice means consider improving when convenient. A clean scan does not mean a lease is enforceable or fair — only that none of the checklist patterns matched.

Everything runs in your browser — your lease text is never sent anywhere. For the strongest scan, paste the complete lease, not just excerpts.


How this scanner works

What does it actually check?

Sixteen checks drawn from widely taught landlord-tenant principles: automatic rent escalation, late-fee structure, waivers of notice rights, repair-duty shifting, entry rights, early-termination penalties, auto-renewal, security-deposit terms, arbitration and fee-shifting, "as-is" habitability waivers, self-help remedies, rent acceleration, subletting bans, and two completeness checks (grace period, repair-request procedure) plus a lead-paint disclosure reminder for pre-1978 housing.

Why isn't it state-specific?

Lease enforceability turns on state statutes, local ordinances, and case law that change constantly. Rather than risk stating a rule that's wrong for your state, this tool flags patterns — clause shapes that commonly cause disputes or draw scrutiny — and pairs each with the right question to ask a local attorney. Principle-based, honestly labeled, no invented citations.

I got a red flag. Does that mean the clause is illegal?

No. A flag means the pattern is worth professional review. Some flagged clauses are perfectly fine in your state with the right wording; some are unenforceable where you are. The flag tells you where to spend your attorney-review budget.

My lease came back clean. Am I good?

Not necessarily. Pattern matching can't catch everything — clever drafting, missing clauses, and state-specific traps can all slip through. Think of a clean scan as "no obvious smoke," not "no fire." Get the lease reviewed before use regardless.

Is my lease text stored or sent anywhere?

No. The scan runs entirely in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing leaves your device.

Related: Eviction Timeline by State · Rent Cap Checker · Security Deposit Deadlines by State