Full question:
I signed a lease for a year. With three months to go on that lease, I wanted to move out. One of my roommates had a friend take over the lease. The landlord and other tenants gave me the verbal 'ok' to move out so that the new tenant could move in. The landlord even gave me my deposit back. As it turns out the new tenant can't pay and after two months the landlord is asking me to pay past due rent because the new tenant never returned the signed lease and his checks bounced. Does the verbal contract to terminate my lease hold up and am I still liable? I have email documentation to support the verbal contract as well.
- Category: Landlord Tenant
- Subcategory: Lease Termination
- Date:
- State: National
Answer:
The outcome will depend on how a court interprets the situation based on the evidence you provide. If the court finds that the landlord agreed to terminate your lease early and that the new tenant took over the lease, you may not be liable for the remaining rent, especially if the landlord waived their right to collect damages due to the new tenant's default. Your email documentation supporting the verbal agreement will be important in this case.
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