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We purchased a house which I realize is not a legitimate reason to break a lease early but I was wondering if anyone had any answers or suggestions for how to exit the lease one full month before it ends. We are up July 31 and want to move the middle of June but obviously pay for all of June.
We started looking for a different situation as a result of many issues with our landlord. He is unresponsive and often ignores the many issues with the house. In February, our heat stopped working. We tried on our own to fiddle with the unit, move the temp up and off and back on, crawled under the house to check on the gas pilot light. Long story short, we finally got in contact after 2 weeks with him and he instructed us to "call a plumber lol." Our lease indicates it was his responsibility to make repairs. Regardless, we called someone out and they told us that the wires to the unit had caught fire and burnt up and there was a rolling flame under the house that presented a fire hazard which needed to be repaired ASAP.
After a big ordeal, he sent someone out to replace the air filter and the person was instructed to only do that, not replace the wires or anything else.
We started looking immediately for somewhere else but the process was obviously a little longer than anticipated and now we've almost reached the end of our lease.
Our lease doesn't have a term clause or mention anything about early termination. When purchasing the house, we originally were approved for a USDA loan with 0 down and minimal closing costs but that fell through and now with having to make a down payment, we are tight on money so saving $1500 for the last month of rent would be great but if we're looking at a big legal situation, not worth it in the long run.
We purchased a house which I realize is not a legitimate reason to break a lease early but I was wondering if anyone had any answers or suggestions for how to exit the lease one full month before it ends. We are up July 31 and want to move the middle of June but obviously pay for all of June.
We started looking for a different situation as a result of many issues with our landlord. He is unresponsive and often ignores the many issues with the house. In February, our heat stopped working. We tried on our own to fiddle with the unit, move the temp up and off and back on, crawled under the house to check on the gas pilot light. Long story short, we finally got in contact after 2 weeks with him and he instructed us to "call a plumber lol." Our lease indicates it was his responsibility to make repairs. Regardless, we called someone out and they told us that the wires to the unit had caught fire and burnt up and there was a rolling flame under the house that presented a fire hazard which needed to be repaired ASAP.
After a big ordeal, he sent someone out to replace the air filter and the person was instructed to only do that, not replace the wires or anything else.
We started looking immediately for somewhere else but the process was obviously a little longer than anticipated and now we've almost reached the end of our lease.
Our lease doesn't have a term clause or mention anything about early termination. When purchasing the house, we originally were approved for a USDA loan with 0 down and minimal closing costs but that fell through and now with having to make a down payment, we are tight on money so saving $1500 for the last month of rent would be great but if we're looking at a big legal situation, not worth it in the long run.
Just asking for suggestions. Thanks in advance.
Everything else in your post is noise and has nothing to do with the issue at hand.
The question is, if you end your lease one month early, will the landlord allow it? That's up to the landlord. It doesn't hurt to ask and depending on the situation, the landlord may agree. As a landlord, it would depend on when that is. In my experience as a landlord, if you have been with me for more than 1 term of the lease and you decided to end one month early, I may say yes because I would need to put tenant in anyway. That one month early may allow me to put the rental up again for a more favorable month for advertising so I wouldn't hold you to the full term.
The bottom line is you can ask but don't get all bend out of shape if landlord say no. A contract is a contract and changes in the terms must be agreeable by both parties, not just for your benefit. The $1500 difference in your home purchase shouldn't make that big of a difference. If it does, you got bigger problems!
Worse comes to worse he may keep your deposit. I would not pay July's rent if I were you. Worst that he does is sue you for July's rent and claims your deposit was all used for cleaning/fixing up the property to get it ready for the next tenant.
It's amazing what you can get by asking nicely. Ask nicely. You're giving him two months' notice. Ask him if you can end your lease a month early. He might have an easier time renting it for July 1st than for July 31st.
Worse comes to worse he may keep your deposit. I would not pay July's rent if I were you. Worst that he does is sue you for July's rent and claims your deposit was all used for cleaning/fixing up the property to get it ready for the next tenant.
I'd hit you for late fees too, $65 the first day and $10 each day after that in my lease. Add in court costs for the eviction I filed, because I will file an eviction by the 8th of the month, and additional court costs to chase the damages after the eviction is over and your deposit won't even come close.
If you decide to return the keys without paying that last months rent then you are break your lease early I'll go after the re-letting fee too.
Just pay the rent, return the keys and hope it can get rented out and you get a refund on the rent, I do this on nearly every one of my tenant terminated leases even up to 3 months early. The key to avoiding all the bull is to be upfront, honest, and pay what you owe.
Worse comes to worse he may keep your deposit. I would not pay July's rent if I were you. Worst that he does is sue you for July's rent and claims your deposit was all used for cleaning/fixing up the property to get it ready for the next tenant.
Worse advise ever.
The landlord could sue you and easily win. With a judgment against you, you have to face the possibilities of bank levies, wage garnishments and a fresh new lien on your new property. Some states even allow the seizure of your cars and other assets.
You signed a contract. Abide by it. Meanwhile turn in a maintenance request for the wire under house. You knew when your lease ended when you decided to buy a house. Now you want to screw over your landlord for your convenience. If the maintenance isdue was such a big deal in feb, you would have terminated for cause back then, if he wouldnt fix it. Now you are just trying to do it for convenience and trying out your excusevon posters here to see how it flies.
Move out as soon as you can, give the landlord keys and clearly state that you allow him to put the property back up for rent. If he's successful in doing so, he usually cannot charge 2 people for the same property for the same month.
I once broke the lease early and my landlord found the tenant the next day and returned me all my security deposit with no problems.
The key is if the property can be re-rented quickly, you want to facilitate that to the best of your ability. Your landlord don't have much obligation to do so, but since it's one month only - he knows he need to find someone anyway.
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