Zigner
Senior Member, Non-Attorney
I disagree with your interpretation. The departing tenant must pay for any damage at the time that he departs. This is backed up by the subsequent clause (f) that states that "The departing Resident will no longer remain liable for all Lease Contract obligations for the rest of the original Lease Contract term."The “departing” resident is the original tenant. The departing resident is still responsible for damage to the unit but is no longer responsible for rent payments.
The landlord has preserved his right to hold the original tenant liable for damage to the unit until the original lease expires. The landlord, with the new lease for pizdos, can also hold the new tenant secondarily liable.
At best, there is ambiguity between the two clauses...and, as you know ambiguities are (generally) found in the favor of the party that did not draft the document.