Breaking lease

[Aurelien]

So i will go back live in france next month, but i need to break the lease of my apartment rental and they ask me to pay 2 times the lease to breack it, + the normal rental. i can't afford this.
Do you still its possible to leave the country without paying?

[RainbowNerdette]

I doubt they can do anything to stop you... And you won't be very traceable abroad, but to be sure I'd call a lawyer or something.
*unless there's one here on DenDen, then you don't have to call *

[CharDudett]

Why don't you find someone to take over your lease? I had to break my lease, but my landlord was fine with me letting someone else take over and didn't fine me at all.

[FiaSpice]

I don't know about the US law, bu in Quebec is you break a lease be fore the end (whatever the reason: you're leaving the country, you're dead...) you are required to pay 3 months worth. I believe the US would have similar laws and you just can't decide to leave and let the landlord with and empty appartment. Maybe if you try to find someone you wants to sub-let the landlord won't make you pay.

[Aurelien]

Yeah, i'm gonna try to found someone, but with my bad english, will be hard to be taken seriously.
But seriously they are thieves.

[FiaSpice]

Yeah, i'm gonna try to found someone, but with my bad english, will be hard to be taken seriously.
But seriously they are thieves.

Well, if you post a craigslist or kijiji ad no one will notice your bad english (if you give the message to someone to proof read). I don't think you're not gonna be taken seriously, it's just gonna be obvious you're a French guy returning home. Anyways good luck.

[Aurelien]

Thank you Karine

i posted this:

-----------------------
$1700 / 530ft² - Studio Apartment + free furnitures (Dupont Circle)

Hello

Because i need to break the lease because of my work and need to return to France.
I need to found someone to take over my lease.

The apartment are a big 530sqft Studio, include all the aminities, Fridge, Bath, a big closet.
There is a swimming pool on the roof, a laundry, near Dupont Circle with shops and bars around.

Also i give for free some on my furnitures: sofa, table, bibliotheque, TV 59' plasma....

Please contact me for more informations and come take a look.

It's the first draw on the picture.
---------------------------

[FiaSpice]

wow, that's pretty expensive (that's about 3 times my monthly rent and I have a 2-bedroom). I won't ever complain again about the price of my rent ever.

I would write

$1700 / 530ft² - Studio Apartment + free furnitures (Dupont Circle)

Hello

I need to break the lease because of my work and I need to return to France.
I need to find someone to take over my lease.

The apartment are a big 530sqft Studio that includes all the aminities, Fridge, Bath, a big closet.
There is a swimming pool on the roof, a laundry, near Dupont Circle with shops and bars around.

Also, I'm giving away some on my furnitures: sofa, table, bookshelf, TV 59' plasma....

Please contact me for more informations and to come visit.

It's the first drawing on the picture.

[Aurelien]

Teah but Washington DC the price are really really crazy here. and that one wasn't that expensive. I have the job who help for the rent, "thanks"

And thanks for the corection.

[FiaSpice]

No problem. I hope you'll find someone fast cause paying that rent multiple times, that's crazy!

[Aurelien]

What is the difference betwenn aminities and utilities?

[dre]

^^ Utilities are things like appliances, whereas amenities are anything that make a place more hospitable, including but not limited to utilities. For example, washing machines are utilities and a pool is an amenity.

[Haole]

Contractually you are required to pay-out the lease if you need to leave before the end of it, I'd imagine this is fairly standard.

Do you have a written lease agreement, what are the terms? Is this "condition" (paying twice the lease if you break it) included in writing with your signature on it? If not your landlord is trying to burn you.

If this "pay twice the lease" thing is not in writing then they can't make you pay it nor will it stand-up in front of a judge if they take you to small claims court.

This comes down to contract law and if this "pay twice the lease if you break it" rip-off is not in your lease agreement, let alone whether you may have accidentally agreed to it verbally at the onset of your tenancy, you can tell your landlord to go screw himself. If you're leaving the country, perfect.

As you say though, it would be wise to consult someone in touch with the laws governing this type of thing.

Don't you work for the French consulate in D.C? There must be someone there that can offer some advice. UP here in Canada we have residential tenancy offices whereby one can actually go after scumbag landlords and avoid these types of surprises. Not sure how it works down there.

Good luck man!

[Fenrik]

They`re not thieves. They`re normal.

This is very common and if it`s written in the contract you either need to pay up or find someone else to take over the apartment.
If you run you`re just a scam and actually quite rude...

(btw, I haven`t read all the posts in this thread so I don`t know if you`ve already found a solution for this)

[RainbowNerdette]

Overhere that would be a crazy thing. when you first rent it you are often required to pay a double month as "insurance" against leaving or damaging the property, but paying extra at the end is unheard of here, as far as I know!

Maybe because of the housing shortage, you can't be without a tenant for long in Amsterdam My old landlord did ask me to headsup him asap if I wanted to move so he'd have more time to advertise the room I rented.

[Aurelien]

Well i receive 5 email for peoples who were interested to take over the lease, now they need to visit the apartment.

[Flutey]

So you are asking us if you can do something illegal or not like leaving without paying? Sorry, my answer has to be "Don't do it"...

Check your contract. If it is there, it is their right to ask for that kind of money. You signed it, so you aggred to it. If it isn't there, you have grounds to battle their decision

[inked_boy]

Well i receive 5 email for peoples who were interested to take over the lease, now they need to visit the apartment.

Good luck. 3 years ago when I bought my house I showed my apartment to probably 7 or 8 people and a few seemed promising, but every single one fell through! Such a waste of time.

And also... holy crap $1700 for 530 sq feet! My house is 5 times larger than that and my mortgage is 4 times smaller!

[Aurelien]

Woo i found someone really quickly. in 1 day
Also i got more than 10 answer for it. But Washington DC are really expensive, but usually your work pay for that, like they do for me.