OMG What can I do? I rent an apt in a dangerous place (Boston: lease, attorney)

[Lancheu]

I rent an apt on Hammond St via Tremont St, but now we find that it's really a dangerous place....We are 3 female students from Northeastern University, and as we are graduate students, we should come back to home after 8 p.m. ( Fortunately we should do this only for twice a week......)

I think that we really do a bad decision to rent this apt....We find that there have 2 shooting near the apt in last month.......We are very afraid if we are killed on our way to home...

OMG, what can we do now? I pray anyone will help us...

[Cliff Clavin]

So you asked about the neighborhood back in April, people knowledgable of the area advised against it, you leased anyway, now want help?

I say you have two options. break the lease, or tough it out for a year.

[495neighbor]

On your lease, are you tenant at will or did you sign with a commitment to a specific end date, usually a year. If you are tenant at will, I believe you only have to give 30 days notice. If you have a one year lease, you might still be able to break it by subleasing, replacing yourselves with other renters. You might also be able to break the lease if the landlord has not provided for your health or safety in some kind of way, lighting outside? I would call the MA Attorney General's office to see if they can give you any advice. Also do a search on "tenant" "law" and "Massachusetts."

[pennyone]

Yes, check out your options. It's always good to know what you can do just in case. But you are an adult, and you made your choice despite the advice given to you.

[495neighbor]

In the meantime, arrange to always walk from the campus with a group of friends or your roommates, never alone, if you are studying late at night. Even though it may give all of you a little less freedom you will be a bit safer. Go to an electronics store and get one of those wireless security systems that detects motion should someone try to get through a window. Have an emergency 911 button on your cell phone. And always stay alert to your surroundings, no mobile device tunes while in transit.

[shrinkberry]

First of all, I think you're being a bit over dramatic and should calm down and not worry so much about getting shot by strangers. By and large, all of these incidents involve people who know each other.

I would be more worried about my purse or bag being snatched/demanded, which is an issue in almost all parts of any city. Take simple precautions like being aware of your surroundings and don't be distracted with headphones and/or cell phone calls. I probably wouldn't carry around a designer purse or laptop bag.

Otherwise, you're probably fine at 8-9pm when others are out on the street. I might be more concerned about being out and about in that neighborhood late, late at night. Take a cab home if you're out late.

[yaeger07]

Wow. I just read all the responses to the April post and I have to say, you were helped in April but chose not to take that help. Good luck. I don't know anything about tenant laws here, but there's probably a way you can break your lease. You'll end up paying some penalty, though.

[pennyone]

"You'll end up paying some penalty, though.'...

There are two ways to learn in this world....the easy way and the hard way. Usually, people take the hard way.

[Lancheu]

Originally Posted by yaeger07

Wow. I just read all the responses to the April post and I have to say, you were helped in April but chose not to take that help. Good luck. I don't know anything about tenant laws here, but there's probably a way you can break your lease. You'll end up paying some penalty, though.

You now, I am too impulse........I post on this website one day before I sign on the lease...After I sign on the lease, I found your replying...

It's really a tragedy...

[JacksonPanther]

No point in yelling at these girls - what's done is done now.

You're on Hammond? Are you close to Tremont? Or close to Shawmut Ave? If you're at the corner of Hammond and Tremont I think you'll be fine. If you have to go all the way down Hammond to Shawmut, I say break your lease as soon as you can find another place.

You're college kids, a broken lease isn't going to haunt you the rest of your life. The landlord knows where his place is and never should have rented to you - he took advantage of your lack of knowledge about Boston, and that English is not your first language. I feel no sympathy for the landlord.