Moved in, W/O Lease agreement in place. Now what? (WA) (tenant, evict)

[dental257]

LL allowed me to take possession stating through emails, that we could sign lease later, and pay deposit later, etc..

So, I did.

She seems very kind, obviously, and now wants me to sign. Is there an implied lease agreement?

I reviewed the lease just a few days ago, and continue to find things that I am not in agreement with.

Bottom line; is this an implied lease agreement as the understanding from the beginning was that she would provide it later?

And.. am I under obligation to sign it?

I understand that at this point it is a matter of integrity, but something doesn't seem right..

I don't want to move. I like it.

Also, there was never a walk through done as I was simply told that *the keys are in the kitchen drawer*..you can go ahead an go in..

I have paid the first months rent, along with a very small portion of the deposit.

Now what?

Am I going to be in some kind of legal trouble if I refuse to sign at this point as is?

[shaylahc]

Why not just discuss your concerns with the landlord?

[RVD90277]

Sounds like you need to have a discussion with the LL regarding the aspects of the lease that you are not happy with.

Lease agreements are fairly standard at this point though so I'm a bit curious to know what aspects you find disagreeable.

In any case, if you don't want the place, you probably can move out after this month. Getting money back after you have already paid it is always difficult but YMMV.

You won't be in any kind of legal trouble since there was nothing in writing. You didn't somehow agree to a lease by moving in.

[dental257]

But is there now an implied agreement, as I have paid one month rent, along w/ $200 towards deposit ~

[CrazyDonkey]

Already being moved in gives you some leverage on negotiating lease details. If you like the place, however, you might want to try to stay on the LL's good side.

[dental257]

But is there an implied agreement, owing to my having already paid rent and $200 towards the deposit?

[RVD90277]

The answer is: no.

RVD.

[mkarch]

Originally Posted by dental257

But is there an implied agreement, owing to my having already paid rent and $200 towards the deposit?

BOTH you and the LL took a risk when you moved in without a written lease. Depending on the city you moved to you *could* bend the LL over a barrel and require them to evict you! I certainly don't recommend that if you plan on trying to rent again soon, but you could.

The way I'd handle it is to talk to the LL about the provisions you don't agree with. In many cases a small landlord just uses a copy of another lease and doesn't realize how ridiculous some of the restrictions are. We negotiated a few minor changes with no disagreement.

However, if the LL is a slippery sucker, he might try to stick you with some kind of provisions you have NO hope of complying with, or perhaps even something illegal. If that's the situation you're in and the LL won't budge, you will need to find another place to live.

You didn't state where the lease is, but in general the city of Seattle is tenant friendly, and already has plenty of rules around unwritten leases. Generally they're governed like a month-to-month, where either party can end them without penalty.

[dental257]

Can you explain your stance? I mean, to say, that "no" makes me feel good, but any basis for your positive response?

[amaiunmei]

In Washington state, you either have a written lease, or you have a month-to-month lease. There are no other leases, so if you do not have a written lease then you have a month to month lease by default.