How do I deal with a co-tenant breaking the lease?
You should first look to your leasing agreement to see if there are any provisions that speak directly to this situation. In some cases, there is a penalty for ending a lease early (especially with such little notice) that may motivate your roommate to stay longer. I wouldn't count on this though, chances are all of you are responsible for the full amount of the rent. Right now, you should be in damage control mode. This means finding a new, suitable roommate ASAP. The first thing you should do is ask your landlord if there is some sort of waiting list (this is common with off-campus student housing) and have them notify the people on the list that there will soon be an opening. If your landlord doesn't have a waiting list, ask around to see if you know someone who is interested in moving or place an ad on Craig's List or another website that deals with rentals. You should also let the roommate who's leaving know you still expect them to pay their share of the utilities for which you'll likely get the bill after they are long gone. If you can, use the past months to estimate what this bill is likely to be and see if you can't get them to pay their share before they leave. If they don't end up paying this, you and your other roommates may have a claim against them, but depending on the amount, it may not make financial sense to pursue this in court. Good luck!
Breaking a lease?
If you break your lease you will be responsible for every day or month until the unit is re-rented to a new tenant. Depending on the lease agreement, which is very rare, if it states that you are only responsible for one month then you should be fine. The only time that you do not have to pay the remainder of your lease is if you had to break your lease due to "unsafe" circumstances. Examples: Your apartment or vehicle has been broken into many occasions and the company cannot provide you with 24 hour security. There are rats or other unsanitary conditions happening in the apartment, also fire hazards that the apartments refuse to fix or have neglected. You have an ex or someone who is harassing/stocking you or your life is in danger due to the individual(s). Otherwise, if it was due to financial hardship or for other personal reasons, you will still be liable for the unit until they find new tenants. You can contact the Tenants Union in your area to get info on your rights as a tenant.
Any tips for breaking lease due to family emergency?
Hi There, I've just recently moved into my new apartment less than a month ago, (May 7th) I just found out that I'm needing to move back home (back west) and currently live in the mid-west. (MO) Currently as it stands, the apartment management states that I need to pay x2 the rent and any other fee's in order to break my lease, however it has not been a full-month since I've lived here, there is not any damage to the apartment what so ever, the apartment is in excellent shape as it was when I first moved in less than three weeks ago. Does anyone have any tips that could possibly help? The reason why I'm needing to move is due to a family issue, needing to assistant a family member who is in need. I am just not able to provide all the fee's and money that is required to break my lease, to include the additional fee's to move across state, I can do one or the other. Not really sure what to do, as the problem erupt spontaneously. I do not really care about the security deposit or anything else, I'm just needing to break the lease, so I can move. If I knew I would be heading back home, I would of never signed the lease on this apartment, except it happened out of the blue. Any tips would be great, thank you!
What are some tips for breaking a lease?
Here are some options:Be open with the landlord. If you have to leave your apartment because you’ve accepted a job offer in another city, talk to the landlord about your situation. He or she may also be interested in this idea and it may be mutually beneficial to the both of you. Just make sure you get it in writing.Sublet. Find someone to take over your lease. The person stays there and pays rent place while you’re away, but you keep the leasIs the apartment in bad shape? A tenant may be able to get out of a lease if the apartment is in a sub-standard state and repeated attempts to have repairs made have been ignored.Sub-standard examples are:poor maintenance of the building and/or unit,public health concernsHarassment of a tenant by a landlordIF ALL ELSE FAILS: Just walk away – you can just break the contract and walk away. Understand though, that it is a contract and you are still liable for the terms and conditions of the contract. ( like the rent money)Please note though, that a landlord has an obligation to try and minimize his damages in the event you break the lease.The landlord must to attempt to re-rent the unit; to advertise it and try and rent it for the rest of the termIf the landlord has refused to rent your apartment to someone you believe is a worthy replacement, then you should have a solid defence for breaking your lease.1 View
Can I break my lease if there are mice in my apartment building?
Yes. All residential tenants have an implied warrantee of “habitability” included with their lease. Furthermore, most states have rental and/or sanitation or health codes which require the removal of “vermin” in a leased residential apartment or home. Generally speaking, the presence of mice in a leased dwelling unit is a violation of the lease on the part of the landlord. If the landlord fails to cure the violation condition after due notice and due process is given, then the lease can be terminated (broken) by the tenant without penalty. Moreover, the landlord may then be subject to damages and other penalties in a civil action for its failure to perform under the lease agreement, and/or an administrative action for violation of rental or health/sanitation laws. However, as a practical matter, vermin conditions in multifamily buildings are generally not serious problems and are considered “manageable” with exterminations, traps, and other common methods of removal. Thus, only if the condition rises to the level of an “infestation” would the premises be considered uninhabitable and/or a violation of health or sanitation laws. Occasional encounters with mice in an apartment is generally not a problem and certainly not a basis to break a lease, but the constant presence of mice (and their droppings) present unacceptable health risks, especially in dwellings where children are present, and would indeed constitute a basis to break a lease (again assuming the landlord has been given due notice and reasonable opportunity to address the problem).
Has anyone had any success breaking thier lease at Promontory Pointe in Phoenix, AZ?
Typically, no matter where you live, the only way to break a lease is to sublet the apartment or prove that the landlord is not repairing serious health and safety concerns. If it is unbearable, see if your lease has a provision for subletting the apartment or finding someone to take over your lease. If your lease allows subletting, that is the cheapest and easiest way to "break the lease". Everything you have listed here sounds like "buyer's remorse" and none of it will get you out of a rental contract.
My tenants tripped the electrical circuit breaker and now they want me to lower rent.?
My tenants recently tripped the circuit breaker in the kitchen and now they want me to lower the rent. The circuit breaker is their for a reason so they don't blow a fuse. Nothing was damage and there was no fire. The reason it tripped was because over 5 electrical appliances plug in at the same time including the refrigerate. They got their power back on. I asked them was microwave running while the foreman grill, crook pot and toaster oven was also running. They said yes. I told them they can't have all that running at the same time or it will blow a fuse. I told them a simple solution is to get a power strip that will prevent the power from going out. Next thing I knew a few days later they want me to fix that or lower the rent by $250 or they will break our 6 month least and find another place to live. Technically the circuit only trip once and also only in the kitchen. It didn't made the house inhabitable or anything. I think they are trying to low ball me because their recent PG&E bill was high. By law they have nothing against me to force me to lower rent or break the lease.