Breaking a Renewal Lease

[ondistantshores]

Me and my girlfriend moved into an apartment off campus from our college. We lived there for about 2 months when the company started sending us all these notices and calling us about "renewing" our lease. They told us several times that there was a deadline approaching, and that if we didn't sign the lease we would lose our apartment and have to live somewhere else.

They emphasized very heavily the costs of moving (breaking it down into staggering numbers) and just generally scared us into signing this renewal form no more than 3 months into our time there. I have the papers they sent to us with these numbers and the statements of when it would be "too late"

Now, it's nine months later and the place is wearing on us. It has ants like nobodies business, it's not at all energy efficient, the range and other appliances are weak at best, and the water pressure drops to almost nothing after an hour or so of use (so two showers and some dishes).

I could go on but my real question is: We are paid up through the end of this current 12-month lease with the company. We have been good renters and made no trouble. Is there any way that we can get out of the next 12-month lease that hasn't even begun and that we haven't lived here for. I've looked over some documents that say we're responsible for paying for the apartment for the duration of when we live here, but people tell me that I can get out of the lease and live somewhere else. I emphasize, we are still in the first lease and have no intention of canceling the first lease. The next lease is stated as beginning August 12th, 2009.

Please, please help us with this. We would love to pay (a lot) less and live in a better place and never see this company again!

Campus (or close to campus) housing typically has very early renewals. LLs in those areas plan ahead for the next year's students so that they know they will have accomodations for college before they arrive. If you don't renew before the deadline, they will rent your unit to other students for the next year.

The LL may or may not have given you the correct costs for moving. Of course, costs cited could have been available someplace, but you may have shopped around and found cheaper costs. So the costs quoted would have been accurate somewhere, but you may have gotten a batter deal. It is your responsibility to make your own moving deals and you can't rely on the LL to make these deals for you (or quote you the lowest price). You have to do your own due dilligence and research.

So you re-signed and now you want out. Whether you can get out depends on a couple things. What state are you in? That determines if the LL must try and re-rent the unit after you break your lease or not. Also, what does your lease say about termination fees.

The place not being energy efficient will not release you from the lease. Neither will a weak appliance (although I'm not sure what you mean by this. Do they work or not?) And having hot water for an hour would be considered reasonable amounts so that won't get you out either.