IfI sign a lease and send it back to my landlord for their signature, how long do they have to sign and return it to me?
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IfI sign a lease and send it back to my landlord for their signature, how long do they have to sign and return it to me?
I’m renewing my lease. My landlord sent me a draft to sign. I signed it and delivered it to the rental agent for my landlord’s signature. While I am waiting for the final executed lease, am I bound to the lease? At what point is she bound to the lease? How long can she take to execute the final lease?
Asked on January 28, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Maine
Answers:
S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
The lease is a contract between landlord and tenant. Acceptance of a contract occurs upon dispatch which means that when you signed the lease and delivered it to the rental agent, you were then bound by the terms of the lease. The rental agent is the agent acting on behalf of the landlord. By accepting the signed lease from you, the rental agent has the authority to accept the lease on behalf of the landlord. Therefore, your acceptance of the terms and the landlord's receipt of the lease would bind the landlord to the terms of the lease. The landlord should provide a signed copy in a reasonable time. A reasonable time would be prior to the effective date of the lease.
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