• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Breaking a lease for medical reasons - FLORIDA

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

J

jmarks

Guest
My wife and I currently have 4 months left in our lease and she is almost 5 months pregnant. The unit we live in is on the 3rd floor and there is no elevator. She is starting to have a hard time getting up and down the stairs. When she explained her symptoms to the doctor, he recommended avoiding the stairs whenever possible. Since my wife does not want to be a hermit for the next 4 months, we got a letter from the doctor and took it to the leasing office in hopes of getting out of the lease at a minimal cost. They gave us a list of charges that would result in breaking our lease early. The charges came to $1,953 (our monthly rent is $919).

I understand that most states have a law preventing landlords from collecting double rent, meaning if we move out and they find someone else to move in, we should be refunded those charges. The problem is that it's a large apartment complex and there are currently a lot of vacancies, so I doubt they'll try very hard to rent our place.

I understand that there are penalties for breaking a lease (for whatever reason), but is there anything I can do to try and reduce these charges given our situation?

Note: The complex did offer us a transfer to a comparable second floor unit but required signing a new 1-year lease if we did transfer (which I don't want to do).

Thanks for the help.
 


I AM ALWAYS LIABLE

Senior Member
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jmarks:
My wife and I currently have 4 months left in our lease and she is almost 5 months pregnant. The unit we live in is on the 3rd floor and there is no elevator. She is starting to have a hard time getting up and down the stairs. When she explained her symptoms to the doctor, he recommended avoiding the stairs whenever possible. Since my wife does not want to be a hermit for the next 4 months, we got a letter from the doctor and took it to the leasing office in hopes of getting out of the lease at a minimal cost. They gave us a list of charges that would result in breaking our lease early. The charges came to $1,953 (our monthly rent is $919).

I understand that most states have a law preventing landlords from collecting double rent, meaning if we move out and they find someone else to move in, we should be refunded those charges. The problem is that it's a large apartment complex and there are currently a lot of vacancies, so I doubt they'll try very hard to rent our place.

I understand that there are penalties for breaking a lease (for whatever reason), but is there anything I can do to try and reduce these charges given our situation?

Note: The complex did offer us a transfer to a comparable second floor unit but required signing a new 1-year lease if we did transfer (which I don't want to do).

Thanks for the help.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response:

There are only a few reasons to legally terminate a lease. Medical condition is not one of them. Did you know that even "death" doesn't break a lease - - that's right !! In that instance, the landlord would have a claim against the Estate for the balance due.

In short, and this is gonna sound real cold, but it's not the landlord's fault that your wife became pregnant. All the landlord cares about is that he/she gets paid. Finito, end of story.

Have a wonderful and terrific family.

IAAL



------------------
By reading the “Response” to your question or comment, you agree that: The opinions expressed herein by "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE" are designed to provide educational information only and are not intended to, nor do they, offer legal advice. Opinions expressed to you in this site are not intended to, nor does it, create an attorney-client relationship, nor does it constitute legal advice to any person reviewing such information. No electronic communication with "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE," on its own, will generate an attorney-client relationship, nor will it be considered an attorney-client privileged communication. You further agree that you will obtain your own attorney's advice and counsel for your questions responded to herein by "I AM ALWAYS LIABLE."

 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top