Breaking The Lease
A tenant of mine just informed me two days ago that she was leaving at the end of April. Her lease was to run till jan 2006. Where do I stand legally since I bought the place in March was am operating under the old lease. Aside from keeping her security deposit, what else is she liable for. Thank you in advance
Marco
Thanks Maddog.
She paid the April rent so that is covered. Just not happy about the short notice and that she broke her lease so early. It does state in the lease that her security deposit will not be given back if she breaks her lease early. The previous owner really was lax in enforcing any rules and even added fine print that allowed her to pay the rent no later than the 10th of the month without any late fee.
You might also check with your state landlord-tenant laws. Some states allow you to collect until you find another tenant even if this is not in your lease agreement. The laws also require you to make a reasonable attempt at finding a replacement tenant.