Changing the lease agreement after signing (apartment, office, date)

[jerseygeek]

I'm renewing my apartment lease. The management gave me the lease agreement paperwork but, it had the wrong lease date (the date on my previous paperwork) on the first page. So, I just corrected it and put my initials over it. I signed the agreement and gave it to the apartment management. The lease agreement had six pages and the signature was on 6th page. She got the manager's signature and gave me a copy of it. But, I was surprised when my correction was missing on the first page. It looks like she printed a new first page. The serial number at the first page didn't match with the rest of the pages. I'm not sure if the rest of the content on the first page was the same as the one when I signed the document. After some arguments, she gave me the copy of the original first page I signed.
My question is - in a lease agreement with several pages and if the signature is on the last page, can someone change any of the first few pages? How do we ensure that the original document is not tampered especially when the signature is only on the last page?

[ATLTJL]

Every time I have signed a lease the apartment manager prints out 2 copies and we both sign both copies then they keep one and I keep one.

[researchnerd]

I recommend calling the office and asking them about it. The document with your initials should be the one everyone signed.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Every time I have signed a lease the apartment manager prints out 2 copies and we both sign both copies then they keep one and I keep one.

I have to second this... whenever you have a contractual agreement both parties always need to keep SIGNED copies from both parties.