Many of us have house guests staying with us at our apartments at some point during the holidays. Some of them may stay only a night and some might be crashing on our couches for weeks.
It's often forgotten or overlooked that in many leases at most apartment communities, it states that guests who are staying in your apartment longer than a certain number of days need to be reported to the office and may actually become considered as tenants and not just guests.
The common misconception is the thought, "They just want to charge me for having the guest stay there." While this could be the case at some apartment communities, with most the main reason for this information is to know that don't call the authorities or question your guest as some stranger walking around the community who doesn't belong.
There are also legal responsibilities that a guest may be responsible for if something were to happen to your apartment during that time period they are staying there. Whether they "accidentally" put a hole in the wall, destroy the carpet, or anything else to the apartment...YOU will be responsible for it. So you may just think about reporting that your rambunctious Aunt Edna may be staying with you for all of December.
They may want to put her on the lease too, so that if that she energetically crashes through your patio door she can be held legally responsible and not YOU. Or...they could just want to know. In most cases, management is understanding, might not charge any type of fee, and will simply add their names to the list. Either way you should let them know because it's the right thing to do.
For more information regarding your apartment community's specific rules, reach out to your friendly management team!
