Most of the damage happens at signing, not months later. These are the lines to read before you write your name.
Some things are already the landlord’s job
You do not have to negotiate for these. They are in the Civil Code and they apply to every lease, at any rent.
“The lessor is obliged: (1) To deliver the thing which is the object of the contract in such a condition as to render it fit for the use intended; (2) To make on the same during the lease all the necessary repairs in order to keep it suitable for the use to which it has been devoted, unless there is a stipulation to the contrary; (3) To maintain the lessee in the peaceful and adequate enjoyment of the lease for the entire duration of the contract.”
A contract that says the opposite of (2) is common — repairs are often pushed to the tenant. The article itself allows that, but only if it is written down. If nothing is written, repairs are the landlord’s.
And some things are yours
“The lessee is obliged: (1) To pay the price of the lease according to the terms stipulated; (2) To use the thing leased as a diligent father of a family, devoting it to the use stipulated; and in the absence of stipulation, to that which may be inferred from the nature of the thing leased, according to the custom of the place; (3) To pay expenses for the deed of lease.”
Read these lines before signing
- How much is deposit and how much is advance, written as two separate numbers
- When the deposit comes back, and what can be taken out of it
- Whether the advance is the last month’s rent or something else
- The start date, the end date, and what happens when it ends
- Who pays for which repair
- What you owe if you leave early
- What the association or building dues actually cover
- Whose name the electricity and water are under
- Whether the landlord has to tell you before entering
Ask for a copy signed by both of you, and keep it. A contract you cannot produce is hard to rely on later.
If the rent is ₱10,000 or below
Then the Rent Control Act covers the unit, and it puts a hard limit on what can be asked at signing.
“The lessor cannot demand more than one (1) month advance rent. Neither can he/she demand more than two (2) months deposit”
“All residential units in the National Capital Region and other highly urbanized cities, the total monthly rent for each of which ranges from One peso (P1.00) to Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) and all residential units in all other areas, the total monthly rent for each of which ranges from One peso (P1.00) to Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00)”
If the rent is above ₱10,000
There is no legal cap on deposit or advance. Whatever the contract says is what binds you. That does not make the lines above less important — it makes them the only thing you have.
On PhilRoom the usual terms are two months deposit and one month advance. That is the same limit the Rent Control Act sets for the units it covers.
This page quotes the law and links to the source. It is information, not legal advice, and it is not written for any one person’s situation. For your own case, go to your barangay or to a lawyer.
Law text checked 2026-08-08