end of lease

the end of my lease was July 31. I left the apartment and now my landlord > is suing me for two months rent. did i have to give him notice even though > the lease agreement was up?

[sunlover]

Yes you do

We cannot answer this question. This depends on your state and the laws of that state. In some states, you are required to give notice to vacate at ANY time you plan to move out (even at lease end). In other states, you do not have to give notice if you have a term lease that does not have ANY provision to hold over or to go month to month after the last day (it has a definite term and end to the lease). You would have to provide us with your state and any clause in the lease that affects reverting to a month to month agreement or holding over after the lease's end, for us to answer definitively.

[sandyclaus]

Originally Posted by Unregistered the end of my lease was July 31. I left the apartment and now my landlord > is suing me for two months rent. did i have to give him notice even though > the lease agreement was up?

As a general rule, the answer is YES, you must still give LL notice. That's because it is common practice to stay beyond the end of the lease period, whether by entering into a new lease or becoming month-to-month from that point on.

The state you live in and/or the lease you signed determines the amount of notice required. In some cases, up to 90 days notice is needed by either side to end the tenancy.

Because you gave no notice, you are liable for the unpaid rent for the required notice period or until the unit is re-rented, whichever comes first.

Lesson to learn: read your lease thoroughly and communicate with your LL to avoid this situation again in the future.