In preparation for an apartment inspection, I sat down and re-read my lease and 
discovered a rather disturbing passage:
The Tenant further agrees not to exercise or carry on in or upon the Rented Premises or any part thereof, any trade, business, occupation or illegal act.
If I read that correctly, I’m effectively committing a violation by writing this at home. Then again, so is the salesman who fills out his order sheets at his kitchen table.
I’ve heard from others that this clause is pretty standard and isn’t used against freelancers, it’s more to specify that a tenant can’t open a store in their apartment. That’s reasonable, but the fact that the wording could be used against someone who telecommutes is frightening. It seems lease agreements are yet another piece of our society that desperately need to be updated to reflect modern realities.
Come on, in a time of increased environmental awareness, why should any lease have a clause that could be used to forbid someone from avoiding a commute to the office?
No Comments on "Are freelancers violating their leases?"