Unsigned Lease

[DonnaLee]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Virginia

I signed a lease to rent a Condo. The owner/landlord used an agent from a real estate company. She is not subject to the Virginia Landlord Tenant Law. I met with the landlord's real estate agent on Tuesday signed the lease, gave a security deposit and the first months rent and the agent gave me the keys, the information I needed to get the utilities put in my name and I started making the changes. It is less than 2 weeks till my move in date and the agent calls me yesterday (Sunday) to tell me the landlord changed her mind, she is having a tough time with her fiancee and changed her mind. She wants to live there now and does not want to rent it out anymore. She did not sign the lease because scheduling issues prevented them from getting together. Do I have any rememdies against the agent or the landlord? Is the lease enforceable? I relied on it totally.

 

[johnd]

No. At least not as far as the lease goes: it is unsigned and therefore unenforceable. The best you could hope for is some form of verbal promise, particularly if she cashed the check(s) for rent, and they are notated as such.

So, again, to answer your one question: no.