text: my landlord has tampered with the original lease. what should i do? when i gave them my 30 day notice, i noticed that the date on the lease had been scratched out and a new much later date put on top. i never intialed this area or was ever aware of this change. the landlord pretended to act like nothing was different. when i went to get my copy of the lease it was missing. we have cleaned our house from top to bottom and still can't find the original. does it matter if i have the original or not? she clearly altered the document due to the fact that the area was scratched out and can be clearly seen on the lease. i don't know what to do?  when i ask for a copy of the lease they decline? who should i call? all of this free legal advise isn't worth what you paid for it.  call a lawyer in your local area. if you can't afford a lawyer, there may be free legal aid programs that could help. start by looking for local attorneys at http://www.martindale.com/  you may also want to contact the state bar in the state where you live.  good luck.