How can I get out of a lease I signed a month ago that doesn't begin until July 15th?

We renewed the lease and I've decided I really want to move out ASAP. I've started to look for someone to replace me, but I started to wonder if there is another way out of the lease since it hasn't even taken effect yet.

I need to leave ASAP because of roommate conflicts. One of the problems is their drug use. I don't want to use this against them, but if everything else fails can I use their drug use as a reason to break the lease?

Help?

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 5:35 PM. Reason : drugs]

5/16/2008 5:31:52 PM

pay the penalty.

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 5:35 PM. Reason : i'm guessing you haven't looked over the lease b/c you don't know how to read.]

5/16/2008 5:34:36 PM

^ so, there's a penalty I can just pay and walk away? How much is the penalty usually?

5/16/2008 5:36:38 PM

You need to tell the property management company about your roomate's drug use. Not if everything else fails, you need to do it first. And yes you can use that as an environmental reason to move out, or to have him/her evicted immediately so that you don't have to move.

The penalty is the remainder of the lease, unless you have a specific clause saying otherwise. If you can find a replacement (or they can), then you owe the period in between. But they are under no obligation to help you do that.

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 5:38 PM. Reason : .]

5/16/2008 5:37:16 PM

^ I don't want to get them in trouble, and I don't want to stay here. I want to move out...and the only way I'd feel comfortable using their drug use against them is if all other options fail.

Damn, so the penalty would be all the rent due from July 08 to July 09?

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 5:39 PM. Reason : ah]

5/16/2008 5:38:59 PM

^^

dude seriously, what is preventing you from reading the lease?

every lease that i've ever signed has had a early termination fee that included the time before move in. it was like 3 mos worth of rent though, so only do it if you have money to burn or your roomates are gonna get raided by the police.

some nice places even include a "if you move farther than 100miles you can cancel" addendum.

5/16/2008 5:40:34 PM

^ I don't have a copy of the lease, and it's Friday after 5 so I can't call my landlord to look at a copy. Chill out.

5/16/2008 5:42:51 PM

I don't think you can use your roommate's drug use as an excuse/reason to legally break your lease.

Just wait until Monday and talk to the landlord. You need to look at the lease when you can and see if they allow subleasing as well.

5/16/2008 6:11:07 PM

the couple of places I have lived at required 2 months rent if you break a lease.

5/16/2008 6:14:51 PM

Yeah, I've subleased my room before so I think he'd be okay with that again.

I'm just going to go in there on Monday and talk to him/read the lease. Maybe I'm getting worried over nothing.

Paying two months rent to break the lease wouldn't be that bad...

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 6:25 PM. Reason : ah]

5/16/2008 6:24:48 PM

if you dont mind me asking, the "drug" isnt marijuana is it? if so thats pretty lame...if its like coke or pills then i can understand tho

5/16/2008 6:28:13 PM

Does your roommate post on here??? If you think he does, you should PM OmarBadu if you don't want him to see this thread and he can delete it...

5/16/2008 6:31:06 PM

Quote :

"I don't have a copy of the lease"

wat

5/16/2008 6:34:19 PM

No, my roommates doesn't post on here and it's not just pot.

I lost my copy of my lease.

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 9:07 PM. Reason : blah]

5/16/2008 8:57:43 PM

since you lost your lease just go talk to your leasing company. i actually seriously doubt that there would be any issues with you breaking the lease prior to when it actually starts. at the very least you may loose your security deposit but i doubt even that. i have to say every lease that *I* have signed has given me the ability to pull out prior to the actual move-in date (and in fact my current lease also allowed me to move out within 30 days of moving in if it just wasnt working for me). The only thing that I would have lost in pulling out was my $90 application fee.

you should talk to your leasing company immediately since you are now one day after a two month notice. if they give any push-back then bring up the drug use.

what leasing companies/landlords want most of all is to have enough notice prior to move out so that they can minimize the amount of time an apartment sits empty. its a better situation for them if you notify them now and move out on the 15th (or move out now but pay through the 15th) than for you to break your lease later (even if they get a nominal penalty)

5/16/2008 9:26:49 PM

cant you think of ANY other reasons to get out other than having to narc? like seems like theres gotta be SOMETHING you can make up that they would let you out for..specially since u aint moved in yet

5/16/2008 9:31:36 PM

^ We've lived here for two years and already renewed the lease which takes effect in July. The drug problem is a recent development, and as I've said it's not the main reason I want to move out...but if I can't get out of the lease...I'm not against bringing it up.

^^ Yeah, I'm just going in Monday to talk to my landlord and get a copy of the lease.

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 9:37 PM. Reason : woo]

5/16/2008 9:36:28 PM

i once had a roommate get out of his lease by convincing the leasing company that my other roommate and i were terrible people. Seriously some of his evidence was we would order pizza and not include him. He didnt let us know he was leaving and when we talked to the people at the office they were shocked at how nice we were and told us all the bad shit he said about us it was pretty hilarious

5/16/2008 9:36:37 PM

^ That's insane.

5/16/2008 9:39:00 PM

the best part was they let us pay only 2/3 rent for the remainder of the lease and we moved someone else in. that was a very cheap year

5/16/2008 9:43:55 PM

Quote :

"if you dont mind me asking, the "drug" isnt marijuana is it? if so thats pretty lame...if its like coke or pills then i can understand tho"

If it was, it really isn't that lame.

5/16/2008 11:54:04 PM

yeah- chronic marijuana use isn't subtle at all- the apartment could reek at any time of day or night, plus those lazy stoners probably fucked up the carpet with burns

5/17/2008 7:17:31 AM

Quote :

"I don't have a copy of the lease, and it's Friday after 5 so I can't call my landlord to look at a copy. Chill out."

I'm not one to agree with Noen, but in this case, yes:

TO YOU AND ANY OTHER DUMBASS WHO ENTERS INTO A LEGALLY BINDING AGREEMENT WITHOUT READING IT OR EVEN KEEPING A COPY FOR YOURSELF:


Some lessons are hard, son. Its time to learn one. From now on, know what the fuck you're signing your name to.

5/17/2008 8:31:38 AM

Quote :

"know what the fuck you're signing your name to."

I knew what I was signing. I read over it at the time, but since moving out early wasn't on my mind I don't remember any specific clauses about moving out early. Jeez. I guess everyone else in this thread is blessed with a perfect memory. I think I accidently threw away my copy, which is my fault.


[Edited on May 17, 2008 at 9:58 AM. Reason : blah]

5/17/2008 9:57:28 AM

Maybe if they have a pet, you can claim to be allergic to it and your dr. suggets that you move. Just a thought.

5/17/2008 11:59:33 AM

^^every fucking lease in the world has clauses for illegal substances. You are in a binding contract with an illegal enterprise. If he/she gets caught you are JUST as liable for whatever is found in your residence, if he/she decides to deny it's theirs.

You do not want to be in a situation like that. You need to grow the fuck up and realize that being around hard drug users is not intelligent, and they aren't really your friend, because they wouldn't be doing that shit around you if they were.

5/17/2008 1:37:45 PM

^ Wtf Noen.

People fucking change. He already said the drugs were a recent development, and knows that he needs to get out of the situation. It's not like he moved in knowing they were drug users.

Talk about people who need to grow the fuck up dude. Shit happens, he's trying to deal with it now that it has.

5/17/2008 1:48:51 PM