Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

readOnlyHint=true already tells the agent this is a safe read. Beyond that the description discloses the returned payload's composition, including the eviction flag and rent/deposit account details, which is genuinely additive since no output schema exists. It does not mention rate limits or pagination semantics, but limit/offset are already documented in the schema.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two sentences: the first front-loads what is returned, the second lists the filter surface and the endpoint. No filler, no restating of the tool name, and the most decision-relevant content leads.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a 15-parameter, all-optional list tool with no output schema, the description covers both the input facets and the returned record shape well enough to call it correctly. It stops short of describing result ordering or the response envelope, which the absent output schema would otherwise have carried.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so all 15 parameters are already documented with types, ranges and formats. The description restates the filter facets and repeats the lease-status enum values already present in the schema, adding no format or syntax detail beyond it. Baseline 3 applies.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description gives a specific verb+resource ('List leases') and immediately enumerates the record shape it returns (unit, dates, lease type/status, current tenants, rent/deposit account details, eviction flag). This clearly separates it from the singular sibling buildium_get_lease and from the adjacent list_tenants / list_rental_units tools.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It states the filtering dimensions an agent would use to reach for this tool (property, owner, unit number, tenant name, dates, lease type or status) and even names the allowed status values, which gives clear usage context. It does not, however, name an alternative or state when *not* to use it (e.g. that get_lease should be used for a single lease id).

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.