16 Lease Execution & Documentation Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. During the lease signing appointment, an approved applicant asks the leasing consultant to change the lease so that he may end the term early with no further obligation. What is the appropriate action for the consultant?

   • A.Submit the request to the manager, and if it is approved, document the agreed change on an addendum signed by all parties.✓ Answer
   • B.Strike the clause on the lease form, write the new wording in the margin, and have both parties initial the change.
   • C.Note the applicant's request in the resident file as an understanding between the parties, then sign the lease unchanged.
   • D.Assure the applicant verbally that management rarely enforces the clause, then proceed with signing the standard form.

   A leasing consultant has no authority to alter, waive, or reinterpret approved lease language. A requested change goes to the person authorized to approve it, and any approved change is written into an addendum signed by all parties so that it becomes part of the lease. Margin edits, verbal assurances, and file notes do not modify a binding bilateral contract and become the source of later disputes.

   Source: NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - preparing lease agreements in accordance with established policy and procedure; a written lease is modified only by a written, signed addendumReport a problem with this question

2. 2. A consultant prints a lease and notices that the move-out date and the late-fee section were left blank and that the resident's last name is misspelled. The signing appointment is in one hour. What should the consultant do before the parties sign?

   • A.Complete the blanks in ink at the appointment and correct the name with correction fluid, then have the parties sign it.
   • B.Sign the lease as printed and record the missing dates and the corrected spelling in a memo kept in the resident file.
   • C.Reprint the lease with the correct name and every required term completed, then sign the corrected document with the parties.✓ Answer
   • D.Leave the blanks for the manager to fill in after execution and ask the resident to sign an acknowledgment of the name.

   The prepared document is the consultant's responsibility: every required term must be complete, consistent, and accurate before signatures are collected, because the signed lease is the enforceable record of what the parties agreed. Blank terms, correction fluid, and after-the-fact memos leave essential terms unproven, so the clean fix is to reprint and execute the corrected document.

   Source: NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - preparing lease agreements in accordance with established policy and procedure (accuracy and completeness of the prepared document)Report a problem with this question

3. 3. A consultant is preparing a lease for an apartment in a building constructed in 1965. Under federal law, how must lead-based paint information be handled when the lease is prepared?

   • A.Attach the lead disclosure only for a household that includes a child under six years of age or a person who is pregnant.
   • B.Attach the lead disclosure, give the federally approved lead hazard pamphlet, and have both parties sign it with the lease.✓ Answer
   • C.Attach the lead disclosure only if paint testing has confirmed lead-based paint somewhere in the building or in the unit.
   • D.Attach the lead disclosure at the first lease renewal, since the federal pamphlet is issued again whenever the term changes.

   Federal law makes lead-based paint disclosure a condition of leasing target housing built before 1978, regardless of whether lead was ever found and regardless of who is in the household. The owner must disclose known lead-based paint and hazards, provide any records, deliver the lead hazard information pamphlet, and attach the signed disclosure to the lease before the contract is binding.

   Source: 42 U.S.C. 4852d (Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act); 24 CFR Part 35 subpart A and 40 CFR Part 745 subpart F (lead disclosure for pre-1978 target housing)Report a problem with this question

4. 4. Two roommates sign one lease as leaseholders. Four months in, one moves out and stops paying. The remaining roommate tells the office she is responsible only for her half of the rent. Under the standard joint and several liability provision, what is accurate?

   • A.Each leaseholder is liable for the full rent only after the office obtains a signed lease amendment removing the departed roommate.
   • B.Each leaseholder is liable for a pro rata share, so the office pursues the departed roommate for the unpaid half of the rent.
   • C.Each leaseholder is released from the departed roommate's share once the office is notified in writing that she has moved out.
   • D.Each leaseholder is individually liable for the entire rent, so the office may collect the full amount from the remaining resident.✓ Answer

   Joint and several liability means each leaseholder is individually responsible for the entire obligation rather than a pro rata share, so management may collect the full rent from any one of them; the residents' private arrangement does not bind the owner. Removing a leaseholder or releasing anyone from the obligation requires a written, approved change to the lease.

   Source: Standard joint and several liability provision of a residential lease; NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - preparing lease agreements in accordance with established policy and procedureReport a problem with this question

5. 5. An approved applicant arrives to take possession. She has signed the lease, but her adult co-applicant has not, and the funds due at move-in have not been paid. She asks for the keys because the movers are waiting. What is the correct handling?

   • A.Hold possession until an authorized agent of ownership countersigns, and collect the co-applicant's signature at renewal.
   • B.Release the keys after she signs on her co-applicant's behalf, and add the unpaid move-in funds to the first month's rent.
   • C.Release the keys now, and have the co-applicant sign the lease and pay the outstanding move-in funds later in the week.
   • D.Hold possession until the co-applicant signs and all move-in funds are collected, then walk the condition form and release keys.✓ Answer

   A lease is executed only when every required party has signed, and possession is delivered after execution and after the funds due at move-in are collected. Handing over keys early gives possession without a fully signed, enforceable contract and without the move-in condition record that protects both parties at move-out, and one applicant cannot sign for another.

   Source: NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - executing lease agreements appropriately (all required parties sign and funds are collected before possession is delivered)Report a problem with this question

6. 6. An applicant's mother has signed the lease as guarantor. She asks for a key and a parking decal, saying she is on the lease and will stay in the apartment during long visits. How should the consultant respond?

   • A.Issue the key and the decal, because signing the lease as guarantor gives her the same possession rights as a leaseholder.
   • B.Issue the key after she completes a guest registration, since a guarantor may occupy the unit under the guest provisions.
   • C.Explain that a guarantor is liable for payment but is not an occupant, so she receives no key and is not granted possession.✓ Answer
   • D.Explain that a guarantor becomes an occupant once she has been screened, and add her to the lease as an additional resident.

   A guarantor guarantees performance of the lease, principally payment, but is not a resident and acquires no right of possession, so keys, parking privileges, and occupancy do not follow from that signature. Anyone who will actually live in the unit must be screened and named as a leaseholder or handled under the guest provisions of the lease.

   Source: Guarantor (co-signer) liability versus right of possession; NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - preparing and executing lease agreementsReport a problem with this question

7. 7. A relocating applicant signs the lease electronically and asks what happens next with the document. What is the correct practice for the consultant?

   • A.File the electronic lease as executed once the resident has signed, and give the resident a copy at the renewal appointment.
   • B.Obtain the countersignature of the authorized agent, deliver a fully executed copy to the resident, and retain the record.✓ Answer
   • C.Send the resident an unsigned copy for reference, and provide the executed lease only if the resident later asks in writing.
   • D.Print the electronic lease, have the resident re-sign it in ink at move-in, and file that paper copy as the controlling original.

   Electronic signature and delivery are valid for leases under federal electronic records law where the parties agree to transact electronically, but the document is still not enforceable until an authorized agent of ownership countersigns it. The resident must receive a fully executed copy, and the community retains the record under its retention policy.

   Source: ESIGN Act, 15 U.S.C. 7001 (validity of electronic signatures and records); NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - executing lease agreements appropriatelyReport a problem with this question

8. 8. A resident moves in on September 18. Monthly rent is $1,200. Company convention prorates on a 30-day month and charges the resident from the day of move-in through the last day of the month. What prorated rent is due at lease execution?

   • A.$680, which is 17 days at the $40 daily rate
   • B.$1,200, the full month's rent charged at move-in
   • C.$520, which is 13 days at the $40 daily rate✓ Answer
   • D.$480, which is 12 days at the $40 daily rate

   Proration charges rent for the days the resident actually holds the unit. On a 30-day convention the daily rate is $1,200 / 30 = $40, and September 18 through September 30 inclusive is 13 days, so $40 x 13 = $520 is collected at execution with the other move-in funds. Counting from the 19th, which drops the move-in day, produces the common 12-day error.

   Source: NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - rent components and related calculations (proration of rent for a partial month)Report a problem with this question

9. 9. A resident slips on a wet lobby floor and is helped to a chair. She is not visibly injured but is shaken. The consultant sits down to complete an incident report. Which entry belongs in that report?

   • A.An assessment that the resident seemed unsteady and likely has a medical condition that contributed to the fall.
   • B.The consultant's conclusion that the floor had been mopped too recently and the caution sign was set out too late.
   • C.The observed time, location, and floor condition, what the resident said, and the names of those who responded.✓ Answer
   • D.A statement that the community accepts responsibility and will cover any medical costs arising from the fall.

   An incident report is a factual record that insurers, attorneys, and a court may later read, so it holds observable facts: time, place, conditions as seen, statements made, and who responded. Opinions about cause, guesses about a person's medical condition, and admissions of responsibility are conclusions the consultant is neither qualified nor authorized to record.

   Source: NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - report property incidents and maintain documentation in compliance with applicable law, regulation, and company policyReport a problem with this question

10. 10. After the fall, the resident's adult son telephones the office, says he is considering a claim, and asks the consultant to confirm in writing that the community was at fault. What should the consultant do?

    • A.Give the son a copy of the incident report and the maintenance log so that he can evaluate the claim himself.
    • B.Confirm in writing only the facts the consultant witnessed, and say that fault will be determined by the insurer.
    • C.Apologize on the community's behalf, explain the mopping schedule, and offer a rent credit to settle the matter.
    • D.Refer the call to the manager, record the fact and time of the call, and make no statement about fault or payment.✓ Answer

    Once a claim is signaled, the consultant's job is to route the contact to management and to document the contact itself, without characterizing fault, promising payment, or releasing internal records. Statements and documents handed out by staff become evidence, and an admission or an apology can compromise the owner's defense and the insurer's handling of the claim.

    Source: NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - report property incidents, maintain documentation, and take corrective action consistent with company policy (escalation; no admissions of liability)Report a problem with this question

11. 11. A consultant is clearing a desk drawer that holds printed screening reports for applicants who were approved and denied months ago. Under the federal disposal requirement for consumer report information, what is the correct handling?

    • A.Shred or otherwise destroy the reports so that the information cannot be reconstructed, per the retention policy.✓ Answer
    • B.Place the reports in the recycling bin, because the applicants already received their adverse action notices.
    • C.Return the printed reports to the screening company for destruction and note the date in each applicant file.
    • D.Keep the reports indefinitely in an unlocked file drawer, because they are business records of the community.

    Tenant screening reports are consumer reports, and federal law requires that information taken from them be destroyed so that it cannot practicably be read or reconstructed, which for paper means shredding, burning, or pulverizing. Recycling them or storing them unsecured leaves applicants' identifying and credit information exposed, and the duty applies to approved and denied applicants alike.

    Source: FCRA Disposal Rule, 15 U.S.C. 1681w and 16 CFR Part 682 (proper disposal of consumer report information)Report a problem with this question

12. 12. At 9 p.m. a consultant on call handles a loud dispute between residents in a breezeway. Nothing is damaged and no one is hurt. When should the consultant record what happened, and in what form?

    • A.Once the outcome is known, in a note added to both resident files stating who was responsible for starting it.
    • B.That night or at the start of the next shift, in a written record of what was seen and heard, given to the manager.✓ Answer
    • C.After the next rent cycle, in a summary of neighbor complaints compiled for the property's monthly operations report.
    • D.When a second dispute occurs, in a violation notice that describes the residents' pattern of behavior over time.

    Documentation is written contemporaneously because memory fades and a record made close in time is far more credible if the matter is later disputed or escalates. The entry states what the consultant saw and heard and goes to the supervisor promptly, so that management can decide whether a notice, follow-up, or escalation is warranted.

    Source: NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - maintain documentation and take corrective action in compliance with company policy (contemporaneous, factual records and escalation to the supervisor)Report a problem with this question

13. 13. A unit is quoted at $1,400 per month on a 12-month lease with one month free as a concession. What is the net effective monthly rent?

    • A.$1,283.33, or $1,400 times 11 paying months divided by 12✓ Answer
    • B.$1,166.67, or $1,400 times 10 paying months divided by 12
    • C.$1,272.73, or $1,400 less the free month spread over 11 months
    • D.$1,400.00, because the concession is a one-time credit only

    Net effective rent spreads the concession over the full term: the resident pays for 11 months on a 12-month lease, so ($1,400 x 11) / 12 = $1,283.33 per month. Spreading the free month across only the 11 paying months is the common error and overstates the discount the property is actually giving.

    Source: NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - rent components and related calculations (net effective rent with a concession)Report a problem with this question

14. 14. A resident moved out and the unit was re-leased so that the new lease began 12 days after the prior lease ended. Rent on the unit is $1,500 per month, and the property computes daily rent on a 30-day month. What is the vacancy loss for that turn?

    • A.$900, or the 18 remaining days at $50 per day
    • B.$1,500, the full month of rent for that unit
    • C.$50, the daily rent for that unit for one day
    • D.$600, or 12 vacant days at the $50 daily rent✓ Answer

    Vacancy loss is rent that can never be recovered, computed as the daily rent times the days the unit produced no income: $1,500 / 30 = $50 per day, and $50 x 12 = $600. This is why turn speed, pre-leasing, and prompt follow-through sit inside a leasing consultant's revenue responsibilities, since each vacant day is gone permanently.

    Source: NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - occupancy metrics and rent components (vacancy loss on a unit turn)Report a problem with this question

15. 15. A prospect wants a lease that ends in the property's slowest leasing month. The pricing system quotes a different rent for each available term, and the term ending in a stronger month is priced lower. What should the consultant do?

    • A.Present each term with its quoted price, showing that the term ending in the stronger month costs less per month.✓ Answer
    • B.Write the requested term at the lower quoted price, since the price gap between terms is an artifact of the system.
    • C.Quote the requested term at the lower price and ask the manager afterward to approve the difference as a concession.
    • D.Refuse the requested term outright, because leases may not be written to expire in the property's slowest months.

    Pricing that varies by lease term is deliberate: the system prices terms so that expirations are smoothed away from low-demand months, which is why a term ending in a strong season is often cheaper. The consultant presents the quoted options honestly and lets the price difference do the persuading, because staff do not discount, promise, or write a term at another term's price and seek approval afterward.

    Source: NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - automated pricing and revenue management method and impact; lease expiration managementReport a problem with this question

16. 16. On the sixth of the month a resident who has not paid rent asks the consultant to waive the late fee and to let him pay in two installments later in the month. What should the consultant do?

    • A.Waive the fee and accept the installments, because keeping a paying resident costs less than a turn.
    • B.Post the late fee per the lease, document the request, and refer the installment arrangement to the manager.✓ Answer
    • C.Change the locks until the balance is paid in full, and tell him the fee is waived once the account is current.
    • D.Accept a partial payment now, hold it undeposited until the balance arrives, and waive the fee at month end.

    Rent and late fees are lease terms, so the consultant applies them as written and consistently for every resident and refers a request for different treatment to the person with authority to grant it. Informal payment deals made at the desk are unenforceable and invite claims of inconsistent treatment, and changing the locks is a self-help eviction, since possession is recovered only through the legal process.

    Source: NAAEI CALP Exam Blueprint - maximize revenue and operational efficiency consistent with property financial goals; possession is recovered only through the legal process, not by self-help lockoutReport a problem with this question

Practice questions only — not real exam items, and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Apartment Association or NAAEI. Questions are written to the domains and tasks of the published CALP Exam Blueprint. This bank covers the leasing consultant's own work; the property-manager credential and the maintenance technician credential are separate banks on this site. Landlord-tenant law — notice periods, deposit limits and return deadlines, entry rules, fees and eviction procedure — is set by each state and often by each city, and is deliberately out of scope here; fair housing is covered at the federal level, and your state or city may protect additional classes. Exam format, eligibility, and scoring are set by NAAEI and change from time to time; confirm the current requirements before you register. Official CALP exam blueprint →