Man, I can’t believe apartments are so strict about that stuff. It makes me happy I didn’t get stuck in such an agreement. Thanks for the answers.
Be happy you’re not renting an apartment over here. South Korea’s rental practice is completely different. One method (I forget the name of it) is to pay an insanely high amount of money to the owner. You get to live in the place for one year and pay no rent. When you move out, he pays you back the money you paid a year ago. You don’t get any interest on it. To ensure you don’t lose all those thousands of dollars, you are strongly advised to purchase insurance against him absconding with the funds.