Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Iowa

How can I get out of this horrible lease without ruining my credit report?!

I entered into a 12 month lease in January of 2001. At that time, I told my landlord I wanted only a 6 month lease. She told me that I could break the lease at any time without problems. I notified her February 05, 2001 that I would be out of the rental unit on May 25, 2001. She told me again that everything was fine since I gave her so notice. Once I moved out, however, she used my deposit to ''pay'' for June 2001 rent since she couldn't get the property rented immediately. Now she is charging me for July rent, and I forsee this situation going on until Dec. 31 of this year. I live in a different state now. I have no keys to the rental unit, as I gave them to the landlord. The landlord went into the property and cleaned it. She claims she hasn't been able to rent it. How can I get out of the lease without potentially ruining my credit report? The lease agreement says nothing about penalties for a tenant terminating a lease early. Please help, I am so stressed about this situation...


Asked on 7/03/01, 3:30 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Richard Lemmler, Jr. R.P. Lemmler, Jr., Attorney At Law

Re: How can I get out of this horrible lease without ruining my credit report?!

Hopefully, you still have a copy of the lease you signed. A lawyer would need to review the lease prior to being able to tell you your rights and possible remedies, as the language of the lease is what will ultimately govern your situation.

When you gave your landlord notice that you were leaving, did you do it in writing? If so, did you keep a copy of that notice?

Without reviewing your lease and other documentation, it is almost impossible to be able to tell you what you can and cannot do.

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Answered on 7/03/01, 12:25 pm


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