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Once you sign a legal document, you expect the terms to stay the same.

That’s what this couple thought, anyway, while trying to rent their first home together.

They had already signed the lease and were just waiting for the landlords to do the same so they could plan their move-in.

However, rather than doing that, the landlords came back with two new conditions that were never part of the original agreement.

One would require the couple to pay for professionally installed blinds, while the other would put their security deposit at risk if they didn’t follow certain lease rules.

That was enough to make the couple to stop and wonder what else might change once they moved in.

Read on for the full story.

Landlords changed lease after we signed and are asking for this

This week, my husband and I signed a lease. It’s our first time renting, so we read everything carefully and signed because we didn’t see anything unusual.

The agent told us the process was that the tenants sign first, then pay the first month’s rent to the agency, and then the landlords sign. Pretty standard.

After 48-hours of not hearing from the landlords or finding out why they hadn’t signed their end, we learned it was because they had added two things that, in my opinion, make no sense.

Of course, they refused both additions.

First, they wanted us to have professionally installed blinds put on the house windows. We said no because we don’t think that’s our responsibility. Those additions would stay with the house, so they would benefit the landlords, not us.

And second, they also added a clause saying that if we don’t follow the requests they have (the other ones are normal, like changing the HVAC filter or requesting permission to change light fixtures or install mounts for heavy objects, etc.), we would forfeit our security deposit.

We also said no to that one. The security deposit is not meant to be used that way.

Now, they’re not sure if to proceed or not.

Do you think we’re overreacting, or is this okay for them to ask? I feel a bit disrespected because they asked us to start the moving process, contact the agent, sign the lease, and pay the rent, only to change the contract afterward.

My husband thinks this is a bad omen and that they’ve shown their true colors. He thinks they’re probably not going to be good landlords.

What does everyone else think?

Yikes! The husband may be onto something.

Let’s see how the readers over at Reddit feel about it.

This person gives the scam a name.

Here’s someone who agrees with the husband.

For this person, it’s time to run.

This reader simply suggests and attorney.

Walking away is their best option.

Changing the terms after someone has already signed a lease is not right. If the landlords wanted those conditions, they should’ve included them from the beginning.

The couple should absolutely demand every penny of their money back. There’d be no reason to move forward with landlords who start changing the agreement before anyone even gets the keys.

It also wouldn’t hurt to find out whether this can be reported. If they’re willing to pull something like this, there’s a good chance they’ve tried it before or are breaking other rules too.