Jump to content

Looking For Someone To Take Over The Lease


kzseattle

Recommended Posts

I live in a 2-bedrooms apartment in Westchase district in a relatively new apartment complex. I will be vacating the unit after the end of this month due to relocation but the lease wouldnt expire until about 4 months later (after September). If someone is looking for an apartment for a short term in Westhcase area and is willing to take over the lease, please let me know. The benefit is that you wouldnt have to sign a longer term lease. Also, since I signed a long-term lease, I am getting a big discount which can be passed over to the new tenant. We can also discuss additional monetary benefit since, as far as I am concerned, I am going to lose some money anyway if I break the lease.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I live in a 2-bedrooms apartment in Westchase district in a relatively new apartment complex. I will be vacating the unit after the end of this month due to relocation but the lease wouldnt expire until about 4 months later (after September). If someone is looking for an apartment for a short term in Westhcase area and is willing to take over the lease, please let me know. The benefit is that you wouldnt have to sign a longer term lease. Also, since I signed a long-term lease, I am getting a big discount which can be passed over to the new tenant. We can also discuss additional monetary benefit since, as far as I am concerned, I am going to lose some money anyway if I break the lease.

Are you relocating out of Houston or just to another area. If you are staying in Houston why not just commute for 4 months.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I live in a 2-bedrooms apartment in Westchase district in a relatively new apartment complex. I will be vacating the unit after the end of this month due to relocation but the lease wouldnt expire until about 4 months later (after September). If someone is looking for an apartment for a short term in Westhcase area and is willing to take over the lease, please let me know. The benefit is that you wouldnt have to sign a longer term lease. Also, since I signed a long-term lease, I am getting a big discount which can be passed over to the new tenant. We can also discuss additional monetary benefit since, as far as I am concerned, I am going to lose some money anyway if I break the lease.

Are you acting on behalf of your landlord to find your replacement, or attempting to sublet?

Be careful. I'm sure your lease does not permit you to sublet, not to mention the liabilities you may incur. This seems like a really bad idea.

You'd probably be better off just breaking your lease. If you're up-front with your landlord, you can probably negotiate a buyout that is agreeable and will preserve your lease history -- if that even matters to you. 99% of threats against your credit rating are empty, so do it because you want to do the right thing, not because you fear reprecussions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you acting on behalf of your landlord to find your replacement, or attempting to sublet?

Be careful. I'm sure your lease does not permit you to sublet, not to mention the liabilities you may incur. This seems like a really bad idea.

You'd probably be better off just breaking your lease. If you're up-front with your landlord, you can probably negotiate a buyout that is agreeable and will preserve your lease history -- if that even matters to you. 99% of threats against your credit rating are empty, so do it because you want to do the right thing, not because you fear reprecussions.

I checked with my landlord whether it would be acceptable if someone else took over my lease and the management informed me that was acceptable. My name would be taken off the lease and that of the new tenant would be added.

The management here is just too stiff. They do have a buy out option although it is still going to cost a lot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest danax
You'd probably be better off just breaking your lease. If you're up-front with your landlord, you can probably negotiate a buyout that is agreeable and will preserve your lease history -- if that even matters to you. 99% of threats against your credit rating are empty, so do it because you want to do the right thing, not because you fear reprecussions.

I've seen plenty of apt. complex judgments on credit reports for broken leases. Also, if you're going to be trying to buy a house in the next 12 months and if your credit scores put you in the "sub-prime" category, clean recent rental history is very important.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've seen plenty of apt. complex judgments on credit reports for broken leases. Also, if you're going to be trying to buy a house in the next 12 months and if your credit scores put you in the "sub-prime" category, clean recent rental history is very important.

It happens, no doubt. Typically, however, if you have any negotiating skills, have been a good tennant, present the fact that your job is forcing a relocation and handle it like an adult, they will make concessions for you, or at least not pursue any judgment against you if you forfeit your deposit. It's the deadbeats who destroy their places, flip the finger to the landlord, then break their leases for no reason who get tagged.

I have broken two leases in my life -- one when I moved to a new city for a job and another when I bought my first house. Each time, I got resistance at first, but upon giving ample notice and negotiating with someone other than the girls in the front office, I was able to get out for about $200-$300 in each case (the cost of my deposit).

I also assisted a couple of real estate clients with this in a past life as a Realtor.

Threats against you from landlords who wont negotiate need to be evaluated by determining if it's really worth it for them to come after someone who hasn't made any trouble for them over the course of the lease -- leave the apartment clean and free of damage, accept the loss of your deposit, give a full 30 days or more notice and like this guy is doing, play ball and look for a sublet, if you can. If they know you're doing all you can and still can't make it work, they probably won't pursue any hit on your credit report. They just don't have anything to gain from that. The few hundred dollars they MIGHT get one day down the road in collections just isn't worth all the hassles of filing.

Now, that said, leases should be honored. They are contracts and are legally and ethically binding. What I'm suggesting is that, in cases where they absolutely must be broken, an adult approach that acknowledges your responsibility to your landlord with good-faith actions to settle it all friendly will go a long way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the landlord is willing to have the person take over the lease have his name on it instead of yours, it seems like you will be free. The landlord is stilling having the lease fullfilled. Usually if you are proactive in finding a replacement tenant, they are too difficult to deal with. You may have to forfit the deposit, but that may be much cheaper than buying out the lease for the rest of the term.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are on the standard TAA (Tx Apt. Assoc) lease form, they don't allow subletting without the owner's permission. If you find an acceptable "replacement" resident, Basically you get "credit" for the rent collected from the new resident, until the lease is up, but if the new person defaults, it falls back onto you. So you are not entirely off the hook. I would clarify that point with management.

First off, make sure you are talking exclusively with at least the Manager. Not the Assistant Manager and especially not the leasing agent. God love 'em, but leasing agents sometimes make up the rules as they go along. Trust me, I speak from experience on that one.

Make sure whatever arrangements/promises/agreements are written down. If the manager is Suzy Creamcheese one day, then she is gone and replaced, the new manager may look at you like you have lost your mind if old Suzy made some deal that wasn't totally in keeping with official company policy (& it is not written down anywhere).

You might try negotiating with the Property Supervisor from the main office. Sometimes they will let you out for the cost-of-reletting, which is 85% of 1 month's rent.

The days of getting out of a lease for a couple of hundred bucks are over. It was a lot easier to do back when apartments had high occupancies and they might even have a waiting list for your particular floorplan. With occupancies so low now, management companies are holding on tight to people for as long as they can. It is a harder battle now to get out early than it was in the past.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The days of getting out of a lease for a couple of hundred bucks are over.  It was a lot easier to do back when apartments had high occupancies and they might even have a waiting list for your particular floorplan.    With occupancies so low now, management companies are holding on tight to people for as long as they can.  It is a harder battle now to get out early than it was in the past.

Yeah, you are right. When all is said and done, I would end up paying rent for 3 out of remaining 4 months left on the lease even though I wouldnt even be living in the unit. By then or even before that, the management would find a new tenant so for them the deal is as sweet as it can get.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, you are right. When all is said and done, I would end up paying rent for 3 out of remaining 4 months left on the lease even though I wouldnt even be living in the unit. By then or even before that, the management would find a new tenant so for them the deal is as sweet as it can get.

If they charge you the balance of the lease, then re-rent the apartment, they have to credit you for the accelerated rent they charged you. If your lease ends in August, for example, and they charge you through then, and someone takes the lease over in July, they have to credit you back for the July and August rent. They can't collect "double rent" from two parties on the same unit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If they charge you the balance of the lease, then re-rent the apartment, they have to credit you for the accelerated rent they charged you.  If your lease ends in August, for example, and they charge you through then, and someone takes the lease over in July, they have to credit you back for the July and August rent.  They can't collect "double rent" from two parties on the same unit.

Well, the deal just got sweeter for them. They also want to me to pay back the monthly discount I got when I signed the lease. So, adding everything up, I would end up paying rent for 4 months for the remaining 4 months left on the lease. I am sure that they wouldnt keep the unit empty for those 4 months and it would be re-rented.

They are really not explicitly charging me for the rest of the lease. Instead, they would charge penalty equal to two months rent, plus rent for the next month since they require 60 days notice, plus the deposit and finally the monthly discount I was getting for of those months and past months. I dont think they can re-rent it next month but after that they would be free to do so.

I understand that these penalties are designed to prevent people from hopping around from one complex to another, such as moving across the street. However, I wish there were some provisions for those who had no choice. Apparently, it is easier to get your earnest money back and get out of the contract of buying a house than it is to get out of apartment lease.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, the deal just got sweeter for them. They also want to me to pay back the monthly discount I got when I signed the lease. So, adding everything up, I would end up paying rent for 4 months for the remaining 4 months left on the lease. I am sure that they wouldnt keep the unit empty for those 4 months and it would be re-rented.

They are really not explicitly charging me for the rest of the lease. Instead, they would charge penalty equal to two months rent, plus rent for the next month since they require 60 days notice, plus the deposit and finally the monthly discount I was getting for of those months and past months. I dont think they can re-rent it next month but after that they would be free to do so. 

I understand that these penalties are designed to prevent people from hopping around from one complex to another, such as moving across the street. However, I wish there were some provisions for those who had no choice. Apparently, it is easier to get your earnest money back and get out of the contract of buying a house than it is to get out of apartment lease.

They're desperate. It it the time and market and owners are clawing for every dime they can get. They have to apply your deposit to something though, they can't just make it go "poof" for breaking a lease. It has to be applied to something, cost of reletting, cleaning charges, something. If they told you it was just forfeited, then you are dealing with some pretty incompetent management. They can only charge you back for the concession, which is common now, if you signed an addendum outlining such, or it is in special provisions of the lease. If no provision was made in writing to pay that back, then they can't charge you for it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...