united-states contract-law rental-property
Can my landlord force me to sign a document that places additional restrictions on my residency without additional consideration?
<p>I'm currently four months into a year long lease and the company that manages my building is asking me to sign a document agreeing to rules that weren't part of the original contract and allows them the ability to terminate the lease prematurely if these rules aren't followed.  It does not offer me anything in return.</p>
<p>The restrictions relate to pets doing their business in the outdoor area of the apartment. Obviously, I would be perfectly happy to agree to these requests but the fact that it was presented in such a threatening manner is off-putting and it doesn't seem to make sense that a company should be able to spontaneously alter an agreement that has such serious implications, especially when specific terms were already agreed to. What if they told me I could only eat certain foods in the apartment or that I had to allow a stranger move in with me?</p>
<ul>
<li>Can they legally terminate my lease outside the terms of the current contract if I refuse to sign?</li>
<li>If I do sign, would the document be legally binding?</li>
</ul>
<p>I most likely will agree to sign since I like my home and plan to renew the lease at the end of the term. My curiosity is mostly intellectual and I'm not seeking advice.</p>

<p>Leases are contracts, and one party cannot unilaterally change the terms of a contract. It is possible, though that certain terms of a contract are covered by a &quot;change of terms&quot; clause. <a href="https://www.lawinsider.com/clause/change-of-terms" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Here</a> is a collection of example clauses. It is not implausible that there is such a clause allowing them to set new rules. However, your signature is not required in that case, they would simply notify you that the rules have changed. It is also not implausible that the signature is intended to be an acknowledgement that you were notified (hence you can't argue they they didn't tell you).
You cannot terminate a contract because a party refuses to renegotiate a contract.</p>
<p>In signing something that can reasonably be interpreted to be a contract, a signature is conventionally taken to be proof that you agreed to the contract. That usually means that the contract is binding, but there are many reasons why a putative signed contract  would not be binding (e.g. you promise to break the law). If you sign a contract under duress, the contract is voidable. In general, you should only sign an agreement if you agree to what it requires of you.</p>
