# Apartment Lease Red Flags to Check at a New Build > A pre-signing checklist: concession repayment, RUBS, fees, renewal terms, early exit, late fees, and the signed flood notice. We read addenda with you. URL: https://newapartmentsfortworth.com/guide/lease-red-flags-new-build/ Last-Modified: 2026-10-26 Decision guide # Lease Red Flags to Check Before You Sign at a New Build A pre-signing checklist for new-build leases: concession repayment, RUBS, required fees, renewal terms, early exit, the separate military right, late fees, and the signed flood notice. Written by New Fort Worth Apartment Team [/about/#new-fort-worth-apartment-team →](/about/#new-fort-worth-apartment-team) · Updated October 26, 2026 ![Lease addendum pages fanned on a wood table with a pen in soft window light](/images/featured/lease-addendum-pages-fanned-on-a-wood-table-with-a.webp) ## Why read the addenda at a new build? Most of what changes your cost isn’t on the first page of the lease. It’s in the addenda. If you’re signing at one of the new apartments in Fort Worth [/ →](/) , you’ll likely see a concession addendum, a fee or utility addendum, and several others alongside the standard Texas Apartment Association (TAA) lease. We read each one with you before you sign. Here’s the checklist we use. None of these clauses is unusual. The point is to know what each one says before it matters. ![Checklist graphic of lease clauses to review before signing](/images/content/checklist-graphic-of-apartment-lease-clauses-to-re.webp) ## 1\. Concession repayment If your lease came with a special, the concession addendum often says what happens if you leave early. Many ask you to repay the free rent, sometimes in full, sometimes prorated. These terms vary and may be challenged depending on the wording, so we never assume they’re unenforceable. Our guide on concession repayment [/guide/breaking-a-lease-with-a-special-texas/ →](/guide/breaking-a-lease-with-a-special-texas/) walks through what you may owe. What to look for: the amount, whether it’s prorated, and what triggers it. ## 2\. The special itself Check that the special you were quoted is written into the concession addendum: the amount, the months it applies to, and any condition, like a minimum term. A verbal special isn’t the record. We confirm the end date and check your ledger at day 7 and day 30. Our guide on what required monthly fees add to rent [/guide/what-required-monthly-fees-add-to-rent/ →](/guide/what-required-monthly-fees-add-to-rent/) shows how to total those lines. ## 3\. Required fees and utilities The fee addendum lists required monthly charges, like bulk internet, valet trash, and pest service. The utility addendum explains how water, sewer, and trash are billed. If water uses ratio billing (RUBS), 16 TAC Chapter 24 requires the method and last year’s bill information to be disclosed. | Addendum | What to confirm | | --- | --- | | Concession | Amount, months, conditions, repayment terms | | Fees | Every required monthly line and its amount | | Utilities | Billing method, last year’s figures, service charge | | Parking | Monthly price, assigned or open, garage access | | Pets | Pet rent, fees, deposit, breed and weight rules | ## 4\. Renewal terms Look at the notice window and whether the lease renews automatically. Many Texas leases need 30 to 60 days’ written notice. Also note that renewals usually price from base rent, not the discounted year. After 8 weeks free on a 12-month lease, year two rises about 18% at the same base. ## 5\. Early exit and reletting The early-exit clause, sometimes called a reletting or early termination clause, says what you’ll pay to leave before the end date. It may be a set fee, a number of months’ rent, or rent until the unit is re-leased. It can stack with concession repayment, so we total both. > **The military right is separate** > > If you’re in the military, federal and Texas law give a separate termination right for qualifying orders. It isn’t the same as the lease’s early-exit clause, and the concession addendum may still address repayment. Read all three together. ## 6\. Late fees and payment rules Check when rent is late, what the initial and daily late fees are, and which payment methods are accepted. Note any fees for returned payments. ## 7\. The signed flood notice Texas Property Code §92.0135 [/guide/texas-flood-notice-92-0135/ →](/guide/texas-flood-notice-92-0135/) requires a floodplain and flood-history notice at or before signing. Since Sept 1, 2025, both parties must sign it. We ask for it on every lease. ## 8\. Move-in condition and repairs Look for the move-in condition form deadline, often 48 hours, and how repair requests are made. At a new build, first-year punch lists are common, so you’ll want both in writing. ## How do these clauses add up? It helps to see what a few clauses can cost in one scenario. Here’s a labeled illustration with made-up numbers for someone who leaves 6 months into a 12-month lease with a special. | Clause | What it says in this example | Cost | | --- | --- | --- | | Concession repayment | Prorated: half of $2,000 free rent | $1,000 | | Early termination fee | One month’s base rent | $1,400 | | Reletting fee | 85% of one month | $1,190 | | Total to leave early | | $3,590 | Not every lease uses all three, and some early-exit options release you for a set fee instead. The point is to know the total before you sign, so a deep special doesn’t come with a surprise. When we review a packet, we write a one-page summary for you: the special and its conditions, every required fee, how water is billed, the renewal notice window, the early-exit cost, and whether the flood notice is signed. ## What happens next? Send us your lease packet before you sign. We’ll read the concession and fee addenda with you, flag anything that changes your cost, and compare it with the Fort Worth apartment specials [/fort-worth-apartment-specials/ →](/fort-worth-apartment-specials/) you were quoted. We usually reply within a few hours during our hours. ## Learn more about new apartments in Fort Worth We'll text you within minutes during our hours, then send a same-day shortlist. See the page [/ →](/) ## Questions renters ask about this ### Is a concession repayment clause enforceable? It depends on the wording and the facts. These clauses may be challenged, so read the clause before you sign and ask us to review it with you. ### What should I check in the renewal section? The notice window for renewing or moving out, whether the lease renews automatically, and whether renewal pricing starts from base rent. ### Does the military clause cover concession repayment? The military termination right is separate from the lease's early-exit clause, and the concession addendum may still say something about repayment. Read all three together. ### What if the flood notice isn't in my lease packet? Ask for it before you sign. Texas Property Code §92.0135 requires it at or before signing, and both parties must sign it since Sept 1, 2025. ### Do you guarantee the price or my approval? No. The community sets both, and we confirm them in writing before you sign. ## Related guides Guide ### Breaking a Lease That Came With a Special: Concession Repayment in Texas Leaving early after free rent? What a Texas concession addendum may ask you to repay, how early-exit and reletting fees stack on top, the separate military right, and how to weigh breaking against waiting. [Breaking a Lease That Came With a Special: Concession Repayment in Texas →](/guide/breaking-a-lease-with-a-special-texas/) Guide ### How to Pick the Right Unit in a New Building Choose the floor, stack, and exposure with facts: 2021 IBC STC/IIC 50 sound ratings, Tarrant County's 101°F design temperature, and what sits next to the unit. [How to Pick the Right Unit in a New Building →](/guide/how-to-pick-the-right-unit-in-a-new-building/) Guide ### How to Spot a Fake Apartment Listing The warning signs of rental scams on new-build listings: requests to pay before a tour, off-platform deposits, and prices far below the market. Here's how to verify a listing first. [How to Spot a Fake Apartment Listing →](/guide/how-to-spot-a-fake-apartment-listing/) Guide ### Renting a New Apartment With a Roommate How two applicants qualify at a new apartment: combined income multiples, guarantors, and splitting required fees and utilities fairly. The steps in order. [Renting a New Apartment With a Roommate →](/guide/renting-a-new-apartment-with-a-roommate/) ## Where to use this ![Printed move-in special flyer beside a calculator and lease folder](/images/content/printed-apartment-move-in-special-flyer-beside-a-c.webp) Find ### Fort Worth Apartment Specials Confirmed move-in specials at new buildings, each with base and year two beside it. Open [Fort Worth Apartment Specials →](/fort-worth-apartment-specials/) ![Aerial view of new apartment communities across the Fort Worth side](/images/content/aerial-view-of-new-apartment-communities-spread-ac.webp) Find ### New Build Board A map and cards for every new community in scope, with the whole price on each card. Open [New Build Board →](/new-construction-apartments/) ![New apartment community in lease-up with a few furnished balconies](/images/content/new-apartment-community-in-lease-up-with-a-few-fur.webp) Find ### Lease-Up Apartments Buildings in lease-up, with stage, fill curve, and what's actually finished. Open [Lease-Up Apartments →](/lease-up-apartments-fort-worth/) Free to you · Your rent is the same either way ## Get the whole price before you tour Tell us your move date, budget, and where you need to be. We'll make the calls, collect the fee sheets, and do the math for every building that fits. Get my shortlist [/contact/ →](/contact/) See the New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) What happens next: We'll text you within minutes during our hours, then send a same-day shortlist. We don't guarantee pricing or approval. The community sets both, and we confirm them before you sign.