‘Renter’s agreement’ NYT Mini clue hints and answer (Sept. 12)

Today’s NYT Mini clue, “Renter’s agreement,” had me thinking back to the first flat I rented. It was pretty crap, but I made a lot of memories there. Before I moved in, though, I had to sign an agreement—but what was it called?

‘Renter’s agreement’ NYT Mini clue hints

Before I give you the answer, here are four hints to help you solve this clue yourself.

• Hint 1: “They’ve got a new _____ on life!”
• Hint 2: You sign a _____ agreement when you start renting a property.
• Hint 3: Anagram is “SLAEE.”
• Hint 4: Begins with an “L.”

I’m about to reveal the answer, so don’t scroll on if you want to keep trying!

‘Renter’s agreement’ NYT Mini clue answer

The answer to today’s NYT Mini clue, “Renter’s agreement,” is “LEASE.” A lease is a contractual agreement that agrees you will pay the owner of something to use it for a set amount of time. You can lease properties, cars, and more.

According to Merriam-Webster, to lease “strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.”

‘Renter’s agreement’ NYT Mini clue difficulty rating

This is another NYT Mini clue that will likely be easier for those in the U.S. I found it more difficult as I’m in the U.K., and we sign a tenancy agreement (not a lease agreement) when we rent a property. So, I’ll give this clue a two out of five for difficulty.

All NYT Mini Sept. 12 answers

Across

• 1A Hair with mascara on it — LASH
• 5A Emotion in “Inside Out 2” who opens up a “sar-chasm” in Riley’s mind — ENNUI
• 7A One finding work for an actor or author — AGENT
• 8A Looks behind couches and curtains, say — SEEKS
• 9A Makes a mistake — ERRS

Down

• 1D Renter’s agreement — LEASE
• 2D Emotion in “Inside out” who blows flames out of his head — ANGER
• 3D Mocking smile — SNEER
• 4D Beefcakes — HUNKS
• 6D “___all I ask…” — ITS

How to play more word games like the NYT Mini

If you’ve finished today’s NYT Mini, you may be looking for more word games to play. Head over to The Atlantic, LA Times, or Washington Post for daily crosswords, or try NYT’s Strands and Spelling Bee games if you’ve had enough of crosswords for the day.