I failed to give 60 day notice to my current apartment and already have a lease somewhere else. Is there anything I can do to not throw away money on an empty space?

Submitted by Wonderful_Advice_169 t3_zy599n in personalfinance

I (F22) in Austin, Texas. I am supposed to move to my new apartment on Jan. 9th. My current apartment sent me a thank you email for renewing my lease, so I called them to make sure there was no confusion that I was moving out. They said that my lease wasn’t renewed but I was on month-to-month status until Feb. 20 if I gave notice today and I would have to continue to pay rent or be sent to collections.

In my previous apartment you didn’t have to give notice, you were done when your lease ended, so I (stupidly) assumed that would be the case here. I have considered subletting the place from Jan.10-Feb.20th.

If anybody has any advice I would really appreciate it!

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Werewolfdad t1_j23sesq wrote

Subleasing is really your only option, if your lease allows it. You can't make assumptions about lease terms and 60 days notice is fairly common

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orlandocfi t1_j23tsku wrote

You’re going to pay one way or another, so you’re just going to have to bite the bullet and pay according to the terms of your lease to avoid a blemish on your rental history. Consider it an expensive life lesson.

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93195 t1_j23u86b wrote

Pull out your current lease. You are bound by whatever it says, but it would be highly unusual NOT to have to give notice for move out, even when the lease ends and month to month. Subletting may or may not be allowed either, and even if it is, finding someone interested in subletting for just 40 days probably won’t be easy. Lots of risk there too if they trash the place.

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CircaSixty8 t1_j23uo6x wrote

If you told them you were leaving at the end of the lease that's one thing, but I've never heard of an apartment that doesn't require any advance notice whatsoever before you move out. Try to negotiate with them, but yes you are going to end up paying at least one month's rent to them.

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NorthImpossible8906 t1_j23uwy5 wrote

Can you delay taking the new apartment for a month?

I'm confused about the "thank you for renewing" email, and the "you are not renewed" statement. Those seem to be contradictory. Make damn sure you have given notice and that you are leaving. Make sure you are not on the hook for another full year.

As for the previous place, you don't have to "sublet" for a month, but just find someone who wants to move in when you are gone, and make an arrangement that they pay you the rent for January. It's a bonus for them, they get the place a month early. There's a fair chance you can get that arranged.

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Sitherio t1_j2414qo wrote

Well there are always details for breaking a lease in your contract. It'll still cost you money but you messed up by making assumptions, so this financial cost is your fault.

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altmud t1_j244ssw wrote

Where I live, the apartment owner is required to make a reasonable effort to re-rent the apartment as soon as possible. If they do re-rent it, then you only have to pay for the period of time during which it was vacant (rather than the full 60 days).

I don't know if other locales, or your locale, have similar requirements.

Of course, it may also be difficult to prove just how hard they really tried to re-rent the place.

Ideally, if you could find another renter that they would accept, that could start sooner than 60 days, that might reduce the amount you have to pay.

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ChiSquare1963 t1_j24ibqb wrote

Give written notice today, then check your lease’s terms. Subletting may not be allowed or may require approval of management.

Remember that you remain responsible for utilities until end of lease. If you turn the heat off and pipes freeze, you’ll get hit with costs.

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sloth_333 t1_j256lnn wrote

That’s an expensive lesson. Your leasing office while technically right, is being unnecessarily mean about it.

Where I live, it’s 60 day notice but we didn’t even get the lease until like 30 days past that, so there should be some flexibility on that in general (maybe not in your case unfortunately).

60 days is standard, so you have to really plan your move well in advance unfortunately

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