Lease riders to guarantee improvements before moving in

[nparish]

Attention:

I am moving in to a new apartment next month and an wondering how I can get a guarantee that a landlord will make improvements (most notably erecting several walls to form rooms).

He is pressing me on delivering the first month's rent now along with a security deposit in order to finance the project, but I'd like to have some sort of guarantee (either on the lease or otherwise) that the job will be finished before I move in.

Mostly this revolves around the idea that I should be protected from him stalling on the project and making my life miserable and my new apartment either a construction zone or devoid of rooms.

Any help you can give or light you can shed on this is valuable.

Thanks!

Nick

[Cranky Tenant]

I agree with me again that's it best to have this all spelled out in the lease. Not only should you be entitled to some kind of pro-rated rent if the apartment isn't finished in time, but it should also outline any changes the LL agreed to make, and any fees the LL is charging fort hese changes.

You certainly wouldn't want to have this, or some future LL claim you made the changes without permission.