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Nightshade
Lurker
Joined: Jan 07, 2008
Posts: 27
Status: Offline
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May 11, 2008 - 02:53 AM |
 
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| Post subject: Breaking lease early - need advice |
I signed a 6 month lease for a semi-serviced apartment that will terminate sometime in July. I was told orally that I could give 2 weeks' notice to terminate anytime but now the landlord is insisting that I comply with the terms of the lease (which is silent on early termination) or she will forfeit the deposit (1 month's rent). I admit it was careless of me for having overlooked including the 2 week's notice in writing at the time.
I would really like to move out in June and am willing to forfeit the deposit I paid. The thing I am concerned with is whether there could be any trouble with the landlord - can/will she report this to the authorities, thereby affecting my work visa applications or get me in trouble with the police? I am thinking that this should not happen given the trivial nature of the dispute, which is a contractual one and the landlord gets to forfeit the deposit after all.
I would be grateful if anyone who can help OR who has gone through a similar experience could provide some advice on my situation.
Thanks in advance! |
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GC
The Ginger Prince
Joined: Dec 01, 2003
Posts: 20923
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May 11, 2008 - 03:43 AM |
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| Post subject: Re: Breaking lease early - need advice |
| Nightshade wrote: |
| I would really like to move out in June and am willing to forfeit the deposit I paid. The thing I am concerned with is whether there could be any trouble with the landlord - can/will she report this to the authorities, thereby affecting my work visa applications or get me in trouble with the police? |
NO
And nick the tv or something to cover your loss. |
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L.M.
Reacher
Joined: June 05, 2007
Posts: 240
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
May 11, 2008 - 09:35 AM |
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| Post subject: Re: Breaking lease early - need advice |
| GC wrote: |
And nick the tv or something to cover your loss. |
I hope you are joking. That would be stealing and is, surprise surprise, a crime. I have read another post like this where quite a few members insisted that the expat destroy landlord's property, steal furniture, etc. However, in both situtations, this one included, the landlord/lady had done nothing wrong, it is usually always the tenant wishing to break contract and expecting no penalities. Basically if you failed to write the terms of your agreement into the contract then you have nobody else but yourself to blame. The landlord/lady should follow all terms and conditions in the contract, as should the tenant. If the tenant wishes to break contract, usually the situation, then they should not expect to get their security deposit returned. GC's advice to steal the TV to cover the loss is ridculous, irresponsible and a crime.
To OP: If you do decide to terminate the contract early then expect only to lose your security deposit. You will not be reported to the authorities. I also had to terminate a rental contract early when I was on a work visa. I lost my deposit as expected and I also forfeited two weeks of prepaid rent that I still had left. Other than that nothing else to worry about. |
Last edited by L.M. on May 11, 2008 - 09:40 AM; edited 1 time in total |
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maneo
Rocker
Joined: May 12, 2007
Posts: 699
Location: 中间
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
May 11, 2008 - 01:06 PM |
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| Post subject: Re: Breaking lease early - need advice |
| Nightshade wrote: |
| I would really like to move out in June and am willing to forfeit the deposit I paid. The thing I am concerned with is whether there could be any trouble with the landlord - can/will she report this to the authorities, thereby affecting my work visa applications or get me in trouble with the police? I am thinking that this should not happen given the trivial nature of the dispute, which is a contractual one and the landlord gets to forfeit the deposit after all. |
Let's see. You need to break a lease early (and only by just one month).
You are so right in "thinking that this should not happen given the trivial nature of the dispute."
What "authorities" were you thinking of that would have the time or reason to care?  |
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YudaRego
Lurker
Joined: Feb 16, 2008
Posts: 33
Status: Offline
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May 11, 2008 - 04:29 PM |
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I go into a lease without expecting my deposit to be returned anyway. Been stiffed three times and expect to be again by my bitch of a landlady. I will naturally cause some damage before leaving as blatant theft of this kind will not be taken lightly. |
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CaptainCook
Rocker
Joined: Mar 20, 2007
Posts: 617
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
May 11, 2008 - 04:32 PM |
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| Post subject: Re: Breaking lease early - need advice |
| Nightshade wrote: |
I signed a 6 month lease for a semi-serviced apartment that will terminate sometime in July. I was told orally that I could give 2 weeks' notice to terminate anytime but now the landlord is insisting that I comply with the terms of the lease (which is silent on early termination) or she will forfeit the deposit (1 month's rent). I admit it was careless of me for having overlooked including the 2 week's notice in writing at the time.
I would really like to move out in June and am willing to forfeit the deposit I paid. The thing I am concerned with is whether there could be any trouble with the landlord - can/will she report this to the authorities, thereby affecting my work visa applications or get me in trouble with the police? I am thinking that this should not happen given the trivial nature of the dispute, which is a contractual one and the landlord gets to forfeit the deposit after all.
I would be grateful if anyone who can help OR who has gone through a similar experience could provide some advice on my situation.
Thanks in advance! |
My primary school mathematic tells me that there is no contract to break... you are leaving one month early, you have one month deposit which you are prepare to let go... can't see the problem.
If you can have a chat with the landlord, I think you can do better than giving up the one month deposit. Not all landlords are unreasonable!! |
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L.M.
Reacher
Joined: June 05, 2007
Posts: 240
Status: Offline
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May 11, 2008 - 09:11 PM |
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| YudaRego wrote: |
| I go into a lease without expecting my deposit to be returned anyway. Been stiffed three times and expect to be again by my bitch of a landlady. I will naturally cause some damage before leaving as blatant theft of this kind will not be taken lightly. |
Stiffed three times by your landlords/ladies? Have a good look at yourself, perhaps it is you. Judging by your intent to destroy property I am going to side with your landlady on this one, you obviously are not the ideal tenant and have possibly caused damage or broken the contract previously.
This judgement is from your post, if you would like to convince me otherwise that you are not the problem then please post about your situations in more detail. |
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TheDudeAbides
Rocker
Joined: June 21, 2006
Posts: 694
Status: Offline
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May 12, 2008 - 12:53 AM |
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| L.M. wrote: |
| YudaRego wrote: |
| I go into a lease without expecting my deposit to be returned anyway. Been stiffed three times and expect to be again by my bitch of a landlady. I will naturally cause some damage before leaving as blatant theft of this kind will not be taken lightly. |
Stiffed three times by your landlords/ladies? Have a good look at yourself, perhaps it is you. Judging by your intent to destroy property I am going to side with your landlady on this one, you obviously are not the ideal tenant and have possibly caused damage or broken the contract previously.
This judgement is from your post, if you would like to convince me otherwise that you are not the problem then please post about your situations in more detail. |
Why should they have to convince you, as if it would matter? I wouldn't see any need for him/her to do so, considering I've experienced it myself, and know plenty of people, waidiren and foreigners alike, of perfectly normal and reasonable character, who tell the same old stories. The wanting to "inflict damage" upon an apartment is often nothing other than pent up frustration at having being screwed over and having had to accept it, one too many times. Does that make it right? Arguably not. Is it understandable? Under the given circumstances, certainly. |
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L.M.
Reacher
Joined: June 05, 2007
Posts: 240
Status: Offline
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May 12, 2008 - 01:10 PM |
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| TheDudeAbides wrote: |
| The wanting to "inflict damage" upon an apartment is often nothing other than pent up frustration at having being screwed over and having had to accept it, one too many times. Does that make it right? Arguably not. Is it understandable? Under the given circumstances, certainly. |
Oh, so you know of the circumstances do you? You know this person? I think not. Perhaps this person is the problem, how would you know? Don't defend somebody you don't know. This is why I asked for more details concerning what happened that led to the tenant being cheated. |
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Michael
Moderator
Joined: Mar 22, 2002
Posts: 4949
Status: Offline
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May 12, 2008 - 01:29 PM |
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We have lived here 8 years and had several moves and never lost a deposit. One time we had to fight for it a little, but ended up getting it back in full. It is normal for them to want to keep some deposit until all the final bills come in - especially for long distance calls. We have always left the place we were renting in good condition.
If you break a rental contract.. you should expect to loose your deposit. That is what it is there for. One option is to negotiate with the landlord that if you can find them another renter to take over right when you leave, you get your deposit back. I have heard of this working before.
If you do suspect that you will not be getting your deposit back when you give notice and you have met the terms of your contract, give notice the number of ahead such that you can use your deposit against rent for the last month or two |
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TheDudeAbides
Rocker
Joined: June 21, 2006
Posts: 694
Status: Offline
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May 12, 2008 - 05:19 PM |
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| L.M. wrote: |
| TheDudeAbides wrote: |
| The wanting to "inflict damage" upon an apartment is often nothing other than pent up frustration at having being screwed over and having had to accept it, one too many times. Does that make it right? Arguably not. Is it understandable? Under the given circumstances, certainly. |
Oh, so you know of the circumstances do you? You know this person? I think not. Perhaps this person is the problem, how would you know? Don't defend somebody you don't know. This is why I asked for more details concerning what happened that led to the tenant being cheated. |
Hey, you're the one making judgment calls on this person, I'm saying I've heard of and experienced it before so he/she could well have a case, you're being instantly dismissive of his/her claims which I find a bit out of line. I'm not defending this person so much as I'm saying there's a distinct possibility they could be at no real fault, which you seem to dismiss. You're not being neutral here before having heard the full story yourself. |
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L.M.
Reacher
Joined: June 05, 2007
Posts: 240
Status: Offline
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May 12, 2008 - 05:52 PM |
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TheDudeAbides, that is why I wrote: "This judgement is from your post, if you would like to convince me otherwise that you are not the problem then please post about your situations in more detail."[i]
My judgement is based solely on the information he provided above. Him saying that he will damage the apartment doesn't impress me at all. |
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underh20
Board Royalty
Joined: Sep 27, 2006
Posts: 6872
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May 12, 2008 - 06:00 PM |
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| L.M. wrote: |
TheDudeAbides, that is why I wrote: "This judgement is from your post, if you would like to convince me otherwise that you are not the problem then please post about your situations in more detail."[i]
My judgement is based solely on the information he provided above. Him saying that he will damage the apartment doesn't impress me at all. |
Owning two double-wides makes you the Lord of Landlords now? |
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L.M.
Reacher
Joined: June 05, 2007
Posts: 240
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
May 12, 2008 - 06:23 PM |
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| underh20 wrote: |
Owning two double-wides makes you the Lord of Landlords now? |
What is "two double-wides"? And why the "Lord of Landlords"? |
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GC
The Ginger Prince
Joined: Dec 01, 2003
Posts: 20923
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May 13, 2008 - 05:40 AM |
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yu888
Board Deity
Joined: Jan 25, 2003
Posts: 16964
Location: ZhongShanParkArea SH
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| Posted:
May 13, 2008 - 08:51 AM |
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| YudaRego wrote: |
| I go into a lease without expecting my deposit to be returned anyway. Been stiffed three times and expect to be again by my bitch of a landlady. I will naturally cause some damage before leaving as blatant theft of this kind will not be taken lightly. |
Wow, such idiocy doesnt only exist on the landlord side I see. I have to concur with LM on this that if you have hit that kind of "luck" this many times, its time to look in the mirror as it takes TWO to get into an agreement to break. |
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