A lease is one of the most common agreements between consumers. Unfortunately, far too many consumers rely on a handshake, a cocktail napkin or a woefully inadequate store-bought generic form to formalize the deal. The legality of the deal never seems to come into play, that is, until the tenant defaults on their payment, decides to move twelve relatives into the one bedroom guesthouse, or opens a pit bull breeding facility around back. In these situations, a properly drafted lease is ever so important in providing the tenant the right to peaceable possession on one hand, but also providing the landlord a method of recovering a financial loss and/or reobtaining possession with a minimum of adverse consequences. Consideration must be paid to extension options, maintenance/repair obligations, late fees, security deposits, taxes, insurance, purchase options and acceptable uses, among many other issues.