Check a contract for the bits that bite
Tenancy, phone, gym, freelance job. Paste it and get the clauses that cost you money or lock you in, in plain English, before you sign. Not legal advice.
By Nick
On this page
- Five minutes
- Nothing
- Beginner
Before you start
1. Get the contract in
A PDF attached to the chat is best. Photos of each page work. Pasted text works. Cover your bank details and anyone else’s personal information; it does not need them. The what not to paste page has the full list.
2. Paste this
This is a contract I am about to sign. I am not a lawyer. Read the whole thing and tell me:
1. Every clause that costs me money beyond the headline price: fees, penalties, increases,
who pays for what. Quote each one.
2. Every clause that locks me in: minimum terms, auto-renewal, notice periods, how I leave.
Quote each one.
3. Anything that puts risk or responsibility on me that I might not expect. Quote it.
4. Anything that looks unusual compared with a normal contract of this kind.
For each, one line in plain English on what it means for me. Then give me the three
questions I should ask before signing. If something is standard and fine, say so.3. Find the quotes in the real document
Every quote should be findable on the page. If one is not, it misread, and that section needs a human eye. For a flat, a job or anything with real money, the output is your list of questions for the person who actually knows: the landlord, the agency, a solicitor.
Photo of a 12-month gym contract, plus the prompt above
- Costs: “A joining fee of $60 is payable on signing.” “Fees may rise by up to 8% after six months.”
- Lock-in: “This agreement renews automatically for a further 12 months unless cancelled in writing 30 days before the end date.”
- Risk on you: “Members use all equipment at their own risk.”
- Unusual: the 30-day written notice is stricter than most gyms.
Questions to ask: Can I cancel by email? Is the $60 refundable? What is the price after the rise?
Find each quote on the real page. If one is missing, it misread that part.
If it says “this all looks standard” on a contract that worried you, ask again as a different role: “read it as a tenant’s rights adviser”.
