Breaking a lease - questions

[limeyx]

Originally Posted by SitoUK

Thanks for all the advice. Yes, I was planning to talk to them as soon as possible and I also think he's a reasonable person.

I've been living there almost 3 years (Belmont Ave and Olive Way) in CH and he only put the rent up by $50 once. So I assume if he rented it out now to a new tenant he could actually charge quite a bit more but then I am not totally certain about the market price development in that area.

Are you sure you're not considered month to month at that point then ? I dont know 100% how it is here in WA but unless you signed successive new yearly leases, i thought you defaulted to month-to-month ?

EDIT: It's also interesting how people can go from "reasonable" to irrational when there is money involved

[SitoUK]

I signed a 12-months contract when I first moved in, After that ran out I was month to month for almost a year but last November he asked me to sign a new contract with the $50 increase.

[bxtx]

The landlord can charge you until the lease is up but cannot double charge. In most cases YOU will have to find somebody to take over your lease. If you look on craigslist there are many people trying to break their leases by finding people to rent their apartments. You might have to make concessions like paying a couple hundred dollars of the rent (charging somebody $1200 of the $1500 rent, you lose $300 a month). Nobody really wants to come into an apartment mid-lease because the landlord can raise the rent sooner and the security deposit would be super iffy.

[SitoUK]

yeah, but at the same time you might be able to get a really good rate at least for a few months, right?

[bxtx]

Originally Posted by SitoUK

yeah, but at the same time you might be able to get a really good rate at least for a few months, right?

I just got a new apartment and I completely wrote off anybody looking to break their lease; that is just me though. It might work out for somebody else but I would talk to the landlord now and start trying to fill the apartment.

[SitoUK]

For anyone interested: I contacted my landlord and it seems he really is a reasonable person. He said breaking a lease in a good market is not a big deal. If I'd be willing to move out 3 or 4 days before month end, so they've got time to clean before the next person moves in there would be no cost to me. He said that in theory I could lose my deposit if they'd not find anyone to move in but that hasn't happened the four times somebody broke a lease at this apartment. Sounds all good :-)