Iin/would a landlord let you change your mind after signing on lease?

33% Normal
12 Comments

I'm about to get my first apartment. It's an apartment in the burbs and it will be in one of those bigger complexes. Recently one has come available that I know I can take. (I also have another I am waiting on that I am a little more comfortable with)

I called to ask some various questions. Move in is may 1st. They let you put a hold on it, or put down the deposit. But the way the guy was making it seem was that I would have to put down a deposit/sign the lease before ever viewing it (they won't vacate till mid April)

and then I insistently clarified - so if I decide I don't want it once I can view it, after signing the lease, he said it would be fine to change your mind. And either I would get the deposit back or it would be used towards another unit in their company.

Except this immediately caused some anxiety. Not just because he stated I need to sign on a lease in order to effectively hold it until May - sight unseen - but that he stated if I didn't want it, it'd be cool.

I don't get it and that doesn't make sense. I'm signing on a lease, dropping $200 for deposit, and I can break the lease just like that? What?

What I'm expecting is put down a deposit at a complex, and that money is held until I can view the unit in person and then sign the lease, knowing full well that deposit may be non-refundable if I don't pursue tenancy.

Does something sound fishy here? The soonest I could see it in person is mid-april, but by then someone else may have already put a hold on it/signed the lease...

I'm gonna call again Monday to see if I can get a different person to clarify this. The other complex I'm looking into didn't make it seem this way.

Voting Results
33% Normal
Based on 3 votes (1 yes)
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Comments ( 12 )
  • Boojum
    1 year ago

    I'm not a lawyer and I have no idea what the laws are where you live, but I wouldn't trust any landlord, real estate agent or complex manager as far as I could kick them. Nor would I ever rely on a verbal agreement, or agree to sign a lease without first inspecting the property.

    Presumably, they have a standard lease for their apartments. I suggest you ask for a copy of that and whatever contract they'll ask you to sign when you put down a deposit to hold the apartment. Read them carefully and believe what's said in the documents rather than what you're being told verbally.

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  • donkeykong716
    1 year ago

    Well I figure they are in high demand, so they go fast, but it still doesn’t make sense to be signing on stuff, putting down a deposit without seeing it first. If anything a deposit to hold it until you can see it…

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  • Ummitsstillme
    1 year ago

    Don't sign a lease for a place you have not seen.

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    • donkeykong716
      1 year ago

      Right… that’s what I’m thinking

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  • raisinbran
    1 year ago

    Ask him if it’s possible to get the current tenants’ permission to take a look at the unit. Have you seen photos and a floorplan? Some owners can’t afford a unit vacancy. Whatever the case, tell him (verbally) you’ll sign the lease as soon as you see the unit.

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  • 1WeirdGuy
    1 year ago

    What you could do if you're in a single party consent state call him up and have him on record. Get him to verbally say and reassure you that your money will be refunded even though you sign the lease. This will embarrass him in court if it goes there and you could sue him over it.

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    • donkeykong716
      1 year ago

      Hmm, I would rather get stuff in writing…

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      • 1WeirdGuy
        1 year ago

        Yeah I wouldnt do it but if she really insists atleast get a recording of it. She'd win in court maybe get damages but it would be a headache.

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  • Lusty-Argonian
    1 year ago

    Do not sign the lease unless you want that specific place!!
    Of you sign he has a legally binding contract on you and unless it specifically states you can cancel the lease by insert date here then yea your fucked legally. Can he rip it up? Yes, will he? Most likley no.

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  • olderdude-xx
    1 year ago

    I would never sign a lease without viewing the apartment or rental house 1st.

    As a general rule, it is the rare landlord who will let you out of a signed lease. The ones that do only do it for major life situations; such as a major family situation where you have to move in with your parents or siblings to care for them, etc.

    I was a resident manager for 76 units in Madison WI in the early 1980's. The landlord never pursued anyone legally who graduated from college or tech school and took a job elsewhere mid year; he said that people don't move to a job to another city just to get out of a lease.

    It was also never difficult to find a new tenant and he liked having a certain amount of units turn over at the beginning of the year instead of the summer.

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    • donkeykong716
      1 year ago

      so I called them back today, spoke to someone else and got the same response. This IS how they do things. They have u put a hold on a unit with your deposit ahead of time, and immediately send you the lease documents to sign. Sight unseen. A month, weeks in advance, whenever.

      They said there is a specific clause in the lease for 'sight unseen' issues where upon initially taking the unit, if you're dissatisfied you break the lease. And they said this is how they do things, she confirms you would be breaking the lease. She also confirmed that deposit would be non-refundable.

      My problem is I don't want to sign on a lease without viewing a unit. The other problem is that putting down a deposit, a non-refundable (or at least transferrable) deposit should be enough to HOLD the unit until you can view it or take the unit/sign on the lease.

      There's no reason to have to sign on the lease that early. It leads me to think they are doing this for some other reason. What, I don't know other than to keep people locked in for a unit.

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      • olderdude-xx
        1 year ago

        Sorry you are going through this.

        I was resident manager for 76 units for 2 years when I was in college; and I did man the office and rent apartments at times.

        We always had an apartment for them to look at so they could see the layout cabinet and features (all but 1 apartment in the building was the same - although they were mirror images back to back).

        It might not be the apartment they would get. But, they would see what the layout was and what appliances, furniture, and carpet they could expect. We had a deal with several tenants to be able to show their apartment.

        We also inspected apartments near end of lease in advance so we knew which ones needed repainting, carpet cleaning, new carpet, etc. We could do wall repairs, repaint, super-clean the kitchen and bathroom, and replace carpet in less than 24 hours if we had to.

        We had a full set of spare appliances and furniture on hand in a store room if something was bad and needed changing quickly.

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