What is TAA Lease Agreement?
A TAA Lease Agreement is a lease document that complies with the Trade Agreements Act (TAA) of 1979. The TAA of 1979 is a United States federal law that encourages the president to favor certain goods produced in the US or a designated list of countries. Under the TAA original restrictions and regulations, products purchased by the federal government had to be manufactured in the United States or in other "designated countries," which totaled 27 as of 2004 .
A Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) regulation controls the purchase of goods and construction services by the federal government and its agencies. The FAR rules prohibit the federal government from purchasing products originating from non-designated countries unless there is a waiver. A TAA Lease Agreement is commonly used in the following areas:
The different types of leases available to the federal government are office space, short- and long-term storage, and equipment. There are a number of variations of the TAA Lease Agreement that are used depending on the situation.
Benefits of TAA Lease Agreement PDFs
The first key benefit of using a TAA lease agreement in PDF format is accessibility. These agreements store important information in an easy-to-read format that is accessible from multiple devices, at any time. Landlords and tenants can access the document quickly and easily to review terms, clauses, and obligations. Editing is sometimes required after the initial drafting, and a PDF also conveniently removes the burden of relying upon one device for a full document – all terms and clauses will appear across different devices.
Second, the language in TAA lease agreement PDFs is consistent among properties. Like lease agreements and other forms of contracts, TAA agreements must be consistent from unit to unit. Inconsistencies between properties could be perceived as favoritism to a certain tenant, location, etc. Rather than drafting new leases from scratch, landlords can have templates in PDF format to ensure they’re consistent when renting new units.
Third, TAA lease agreement PDFs are compliant with legal requirements. Most landlords are aware that housing regulations mandate some documentation to be available in PDF. This makes compliance in other areas easier and more efficient. By having TAA lease agreements available in PDF format, residential properties are typically considered to be legal and prepared for an audit.
Key Parts of a TAA Lease Agreement
A typical Texas Apartment Association Lease Agreement, also referred to as TAA Lease Agreement, will include illustrative, explanatory notes. These notes will not be included in a fully executed lease agreement, so you will not see them in the TAA lease agreement pdf.
Some of the important sections in the agreement include the following:
Tenant and landlord obligations. The obligations for the tenant and the landlord are set out in detail on page 1. These obligations are negotiated and agreed to by both parties. In addition to the responsibilities outlined in this section, the application, the rules and regulations, and the other addenda all contain obligations for the parties.
Rent. Rent is due on the first day of each month unless the landlord has agreed to accept rent later. There is not an obligation to accept rent after the 5th of the month unless the lease agreement specifically provides otherwise. Rent due under the lease and tacked fees are "rent" for purposes of the lease agreement and in the event of a lawsuit concerning the lease. No matter how the money is characterized, it is all considered "rent," and therefore is governed by any provisions in the lease agreement that apply to rent.
Maintenance. Maintenance and repair obligations are typically set forth in the lease agreement so that the parties know who is responsible for actions and damages that occur after move-in. Some leases require the tenant to maintain appliances, including refrigerators, microwaves, and dishwashers. Typically, the landlord will only be responsible for maintenance and repair of the A/C system and garbage disposal, but you should check your lease agreement to make sure.
Filling out a TAA Lease Agreement PDF
When it comes to filling out a TAA lease agreement PDF, you want to make sure you’re getting it right. The process of completing the document is relatively straightforward, but there are some common errors many people make — and a few best practices you’ll want to keep in mind. First, one of the most important things to determine is who is going to sign the agreement. In many cases, the person signing may not be the person who is actually living on the property. For example, if you are a property manager, the property owner may sign the agreement, although they won’t necessarily be present in the space. The first step to start with is the listing. The listing should be filled out with relevant details about the property, including the rental amount. Most of this section is fairly obvious, although you will want to be sure not to overpromise, as failure to fulfill your end of the deal could result in legal trouble. From there, you’ll need to complete the parties section, which will include the property unit name and associated unit number. You’ll note the specific rent due amount and the amount of any deposit. If the resident elects to forgo in-person payments and use online rent pay services, you can include that here as well. One of the biggest errors owners and property managers make is failing to complete the agreement fully and accurately. The information you provide in the lease agreement PDF should be 100 percent accurate and disclosed in full. As a general rule, residents should have no surprises once they move in. Once you’ve completed every aspect of the PDF, you can save the document. The information will automatically generate in the correct places so you just have to type it out once. From there, you’ll need to draft the appropriate signature fields. Be mindful of allowing both parties an opportunity to review the context fully before signing, which may avoid questions or confusion down the road. When it comes to completing a TAA lease agreement PDF, it’s fairly standard across the board. Just note that each situation may require its own considerations and potential edits.
Printing and Editing a TAA Lease Agreement
The TAA Lease Agreement PDF can be downloaded from the official Texas Apartment Association website or local neighborhood organizations. The TAA offers a download link on its homepage in the lease forms section that provides you with a zip file containing the most current version of the lease agreement in PDF format.
Landlords and tenants can obtain a both a written and downloadable copy of the lease agreement . Typically, landlords are responsible for providing a copy to their tenants, although certain Texas law provisions require tenants to be provided with a copy of the lease as well. If there are any revisions to be made, landlords can access the editable version of the Texas Apartment Association lease agreement through a free app on the Texas Realtor site. Initially, users must create an Active Keys account in order to access the site. Once created, landlords can easily customize and revise the PDF form.
The Legal Aspects of TAA Lease Agreements
The TAA lease agreement is a legally binding contract between a tenant and a landlord that outlines the terms of the rental arrangement. As a court-enforceable contract, both parties can be held accountable if either side breaches the provisions in the lease. For you, as a landlord, this is an important tool in the event of a dispute or if an eviction becomes necessary.
If a tenant violates their lease terms, a landlord may obtain a judgment against them in court. With this signed document in your possession, a judge may order the tenant to make good on the damages or violations outlined, or the judge may terminate the lease and end the tenancy. You may then proceed with an eviction action (requiring service of a summons and complaint), to which the tenant must respond. For the tenant, most violations would result in a demand to pay any past-due amounts and/or a notice of lease termination. However, violations involving drugs and/or threats can be grounds for immediate termination and eviction proceedings.
Your TAA lease agreement protects you as the landlord through the following means:
This document also protects tenants. For example, if you do not provide you tenant the services you agreed to within the lease, such as maintenance and repairs at the property, the tenant may be able to withhold the rent. Again, this is a moving target, as your state laws will dictate when and how a tenant can withhold the rent until the repairs are made.
FAQS for TAA Lease Agreements
Q: Is it legal for a landlord and a tenant to choose any lease form they want?
A: Yes! Freedom of contract is one of the most fundamental tenets of American law. As a result, in most instances, a landlord and a tenant are free to agree to any terms they desire, unless there is a specific law that prohibits those terms. In fact, depending on your locality and the language in your state’s laws, it might be impossible to draft a lease that does not violate at least one statute. (Not a cost-effective approach!)
It’s also important to keep in mind that state laws are constantly being updated to reflect changing circumstances, so it’s essential to ensure that you’re using the most recent lease form available to you to protect yourself from liability.
Q: My apartment community has adopted TAA as its lease form. Are the provisions in TAA negotiable?
A: Absolutely! While the use of TAA is a very good starting point for your lease agreement and will likely save you considerable time and expense working through the necessary terms, the TAA lease is not written with every market, local code and community in mind. Property managers should feel free to edit the TAA lease to suit their needs, but be careful to avoid any deletions of any terms required by law.
Q: I’m a property management company , a resident service provider or a real estate developer. Is it okay for me to produce and sell a lease form based on the TAA lease?
A: Nope! The TAA lease is protected by copyright, and the TAA has taken all steps necessary to protect its copyright. If you want to use the TAA lease as the basis for your leasing documents, you will need to enter into a TAA Developer/License Agreement that will allow you to use TAA’s copyrighted forms. In return, you can use forms close to the TAA lease. However, under the terms of a Developer/License Agreement, you will be restricted from any modifications of the TAA lease that will result in significant legal or substantive changes. And, most importantly, you cannot resell the TAA lease or any lease derived from it.
Q: A property I’m managing is built and performing in a way that makes it clear it won’t work for certain residents. If I don’t make any modifications to my TAA lease, does it work as my legal shield?
A: Absolutely not! The TAA lease, or even the modifications you make to that lease, do not insulate you from the legal requirement that you comply with all applicable fair housing laws. It is essential to ensure that any reasonable modifications or accommodations requested by a resident are handled properly and that you do not impose blanket bans on those modifications or accommodations requested by a resident.