Hi! I recently spoke to my landlord about getting out of my lease earlier than expected because my roommate is moving away and I want to move to a different area. He said it was fine as long as I help find a new tenant to sign for the duration of my lease. Not a problem. However, he now is saying he will take a month or two to do renivations to the apt and that I would then be responsible for finding a new tenant at a higher rental price once the construction is complete. If he does these renivations, he will likely need me to move out even earlier than discussed.
Can he have me move out earlier if I don't want to (I need to find a different apt still)?
Am I responsible for finding new tenants if he is changing the cost and structure of the lease?
Am I responsible for the rent through the duration of the lease if we do not find new tenants based on his new pricing? (At the current pricing $1650, even slightly higher $1800, we should be ok but he is likely going to add at least $400-500/month to pay for the construction.)
Any advice would be great. Thanks!
Editor's Response
If you read the other articles in this forum about breaking your lease you will see the general outline of how this should work. You (and your roommate if he/she signed the lease) are responsible for the rent stipulated in your lease until the end of the term. However, the landlord has to make reasonable efforts to find a replacement tenant if you leave. MA law, and most housing court judges I have run into to, will not let him have it both ways: He cannot collect rent from you while he uses the apartment for his own purposes (an extensive and time consuming rehab).
If you find a replacement tenant for him, he must evaluate the applicant fairly and accept the applicant if he/she is suitable. If the new tenant is only willing to pay 80% of the rent you paid, you may be responsible for that 20% difference. However, you do not need to move out when he tells you to, and you will not be responsible for the additional rent he wishes to charge. For more information or to post a question, visit our MA Landlord and Tenant Law Discussion Forum. Good luck, and please tell your friends about The Forum.