Thinking we need a 'brown M&M' type clause in our lease

[Annette Schneider]

Any tips on getting tenants to read their lease? Sure we can make them comply but it would be nice if they knew what was in their lease so we aren't the 'bad guy' enforcing aspects of the lease they were willfully unaware of. I'm pondering if there is a way of adding some sort of 'brown M&M' clause hidden in the lease so that we know who actually read the whole lease. Some little hidden nugget in the lease that is trivial that makes it obvious that they read the lease. 

[Nathan Gesner]

@Annette Schneider let's be honest; people hear what they want to hear.

I sign hundreds of leases every year. I review the lease with each tenant. If three people rent together, I go over the lease with all three of them at the same time. I hit all the highlights. I've even had them initial key points in the past so they couldn't argue I never covered it or that they hadn't seen it.

None of it matters. I still get Tenants arguing that they can't pay rent until the second Wednesday of the month even though we discussed that multiple times prior to their applying and moving in. We still get Tenants adding a roommate or a pet. We still have Tenants that don't know how to report maintenance.

I think back to all the hours we spent reviewing with people and honestly think it's been a waste. I'm switching to electronic signatures now and every lease will have a cover page that advises them they are responsible for reading and understanding the lease, advising them to consult an attorney before signing, and then making them initial that they've read and accepted the agreement. I'll save myself dozens of hours every year and probably still get the same result as if I had personally reviewed with each tenant.