His Landlord Wants Him Out Before the Lease Ends—Now He’s Demanding She Pay Every Cent of His Moving Costs
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When you’re looking for a place to rent, don’t ignore red flags. When you immediately realize that the landlord lied about something, even if that thing seems minor at the time, don’t ignore it. It probably means the landlord is also lying about things that are really important.
In this story, a grad school student ignored red flags when he rented a condo. It all backfired when the landlord told him he needed to move out early.
Now, he wants her to pay him back or at least pay his expenses to move out.
Is he asking too much? Let’s read the whole story to decide.
AITA for wanting money after my landlord asked me to leave 20 days into the lease?
I (25M) moved from the west coast to a midwestern city in August for grad school.
I spent weeks in May and June searching for a place, checking Zillow, FB, Craigslist, etc.
I found a condo unit from Beth (38F) that fit my needs and budget. After verifying the unit via FaceTime and through a friend, I signed the lease.
I paid a $35 credit check fee, $600 move-in fee, and the first month’s rent.
There are so many red flags here!
Beth sent a guideline sheet stating, “if anybody asks about your occupancy, direct any questions to the owner,” which should have been a red flag.
Ten days before moving in, I asked Beth if the unit was being professionally cleaned.
She assured me it was and that all repairs were made.
However, when I arrived, the apartment was in poor condition: year-old meat in the freezer, pet hair on old furniture (which aggravated my allergies), yellow stains on the mattress, and dead bugs in corners.
But the situation got worse.
Beth was understanding and sent a cleaning team a week later, but my brother and I had to move out and dispose of the old furniture, clean the apartment, and deal with the mess.
This was a lot of work for the $600 move-in fee.
Despite the inconvenience, I moved past it. Mistakes happen, right?
Then, 20 days into the year-long lease, Beth informed me that her HOA was threatening legal action because she was violating association rules by renting out the condo to non-family members. She was breaking our lease, and I had to find a new place to live.
He talked to a lawyer.
I consulted a housing law office, which told me that while my lease was null, I could still pursue compensation for other issues.
They advised that settling (asking for my money back or other compensation) and moving out would be best, as my name could be on an eviction if Beth was evicted.
I informed my landlord of the legal advice, and she refunded my initial payments (first month’s rent, $600 move-in fee, $35 application fee).
He asked for even more.
I then requested that she cover my moving costs, totaling over $2000 (first month’s rent at the new place, move-in fee, application fee, and moving services). I felt this was fair given the lease breach, the hassle, and the additional costs I incurred.
Beth refused, claiming she had already refunded my money and accusing me of exploitation. She even threatened to report my actions to my university.
AITA for asking my landlord to cover these costs, or am I justified in seeking compensation after she broke the lease, disrupted my move, and caused me to incur additional expenses?
He never should’ve moved in, but obviously, it’s too late to change that.
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Let’s see what Reddit suggests.
This person thinks he is asking for too much.
Another person suggests small claims court.
Here’s another good idea.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about neighbors who complain about dandelions only to find themselves on the other end of a creative response.
Clearly, the “landlord” is the one who messed up.
Sure, he has to move out. There’s no other option. But does his “landlord” owe him anything for breaking the lease? I think it’d be nice if she’d pay his moving expenses, but I don’t think she’ll do it unless they go to small claims court. It would be interesting to see what the judge would decide.
Don’t ignore the red flags when signing a lease!
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