How do I get out of a lease?

[Patroklos]

So, I found an place that is just as big and nice as my current abode, but about half the price.

Unfortunetly my old year long lease, which ended in September, automatically renewed for another year even though I swear we agreed by the month (though can't prove it), and the land lord won't let me leave early.

More important than the cheaper rent, I go back overseas for six months in May and was planning on leaving then until I found this new place, so not only can I not capitalize on the cheaper rent, but I might be out $5,500 dollars next summer paying for an apartment no one is living in!

And to make matters worse he won't let me sublet OR find someone to take over my lease!

So my only recourse is to make him want to evict me, in a way not covered in my lease so I am not liable for the rest of the rent for the remaining term of th lease.

I was thinking of telling all my neighboors that the State requires me to inform them I am a pedfile back from prison (pay them a bit so that lie doesn't get back to work, that would be bad) and have them complain to the land lord, then "volunteer" to leave.

Any other suggestions, or advice from past experiances?

[Sava]

death

[Sava]

Originally posted by Patroklos

I was thinking of telling all my neighboors that the State requires me to inform them I am a pedfile back from prison (pay them a bit so that lie doesn't get back to work, that would be bad) and have them complain to the land lord, then "volunteer" to leave.

Any other suggestions, or advice from past experiances?

btw, get yourself branded a pedophile...

that is always a good idea

try to get on the sex offender registry in your area... that would help!

[Patroklos]

I think they would charge my estate, this land lord is a ****.

[Patroklos]

btw, get yourself branded a pedophile...

I am paying them to lie.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Patroklos


I am paying them to lie.

well my way will save you money!

[Flubber]

Check with the local landlord tenant board or local tenants association and READ your lease. I am assuming you have those things.
Your landlord sounds like an ass and I don't know that I have ever seen a lease that would permit a landlord to refuse assignment or subletting all at a time when he can refuse termination for months and months. But then again , in most provinces in Canada there are a large number of statutory conditions for the protection of tenants that cannot be varied

[Patroklos]

My lease does say a year, thought like I said I swear we negotiated month. I wouldn't be suprise if he changed that in the paperwork shuffles and I missed it. It is a small write in block on one of the last sheets of paper.

Going by base legal to see if they can help. Sailors worm their way of of leases all the time, I am sure they have tricks.

I was thinking maybe someone has been a little creative in the last

[Imran Siddiqui]

Damn.. always read your lease before you sign it (and initial every section). Maybe there are some tricks, but it may be hard if that's what your lease said.

[Zkribbler]

Re: How do I get out of a lease?

Originally posted by Patroklos
And to make matters worse he won't let me sublet OR find someone to take over my lease!

In many states, the landlord cannot unreasonably withhold his permission. Can you check with a lawyer or legal aid. Or try a landlord-tenant treatise in your local law library.

[GePap]

I have never seen a case of a tenant being forced to pay for an apartment they do not live in-speak to a housing lawyer, but honestly, if you vacate the apartment, I doubt there is anything the landlord can do to you other than keep your safety deposit- as long as you acknowledge that you are OUT and have no plans of coming back- a lease is not exactly an iron clad document.

IIRC you live in California, so follow this link:

http://www.lawhelpcalifornia.org/CA/StateChannelResults.cfm/County/%20/City/%20/demoMode/%3D%201/Language/1/State/CA/TextOnly/N/ZipCode/%20/LoggedIn/0/iSubTopicID/1/iProblemCodeID/1630100/sTopicImage/g%2Dhousing.gif/iTopicID/835/ichannelid/137/bAllState/0

To find some free legal advice in your area.

I assume that the landlord does not take money right out of your account, that you have to pay monthly, so honestly, I assume if you were to send him a letter, certified mail (crucial), stating that you were surrendering the apartment, then moved out and went into the new place, the only thing he could do would be to take you to housing court to claim the missing rent, but if you had proof that you surrendered the apartment, including Keys, that you had moved out completely, and that during that time you had actually not been in the apartment, I don't see how the courts would force you to pay for services you never received, specially if the landlord then put the apartment back in the market and rented it out to someone new.

[Imran Siddiqui]

His location says Virginia.... I assume that's not current?

[notyoueither]

Tell him a couple of your friends, who are recently released felons, are going to be staying at your place for a bit from time to time, when they are in town. Tell him he shouldn't mind the motorcycles, and in fact, he should take steps to make sure the bikes are not messed with since your friends would get very upset.

[Sava]

yeah, tell them your friends are the pedophiles

[notyoueither]

Move to the new place. Make five copies of your key. Give those keys to five homeless guys.

You'll be evicted within days.