Owner asked if we'd be willing to move out early. Is this right?

[Mapper]

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

We have been renting a house since Jan. 2010. At that time we had signed a lease for a year. In October of 2010 the owner was being transferred to another state for her job. She expected to be there for 3 years and was wondering if we'd like to sign a 3 year lease so she wouldn't have to worry about re-renting the house. We said sure. So now our lease is thru October of 2013. Well things didn't work out and she moved back in May of 2012. She came to us asking if we'd be interested in moving out early because she had to find a place to rent and her lease would be up in June 2013 and was wondering if we'd like to move out by the end of April so that she could have time to sand the floors before she moved back in. She asked us (well really just me as my husband wasn't there at the time) and I said I didn't know what our situation would be. She said to keep her informed.

Well a few weeks ago she approached me again (once again my husband wasn't there when she called) and asked if we'd get out early. Now when I told my husband about this possibility last summer he said "That's fine, we'd be glad to get out of here" however now he is pitching a fit that she is asking us to do this. I told her we would leave early and even said (as my husband and I were talking about) that if we find a place before the end of April we may need to move out EARLY. Now my husband is hell bent on telling her that we don't HAVE to go anywhere until October and make her have to rent another place for 5 months when her lease is up.

I feel she is asking a lot of us to move out early because HER schedule didn't work out. I am being nice because I hate confrontation and I think that is maybe why she always calls and texts me about things. My husband has no problem speaking his mind and I am afraid as to what he's going to say to her as I don't want there to be bad blood.

Like I said, the lease is written to go through October so we should really be able to stay here through then regardless of what we told her we'd do right?

 

[FarmerJ]

You have a lease, it is to be the Landlords bible , it also is binding on both of you , No you dont have to leave early , she can find a month to month rental (not your problem) do self a favor when she text you dont answer any more let your husband do it, when she calls on phone excuse self or hand him the phone. No point in letting this situation become a problem that harms your marriage. let your husband deal wit her from now on.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

As has been pointed out, you have a lease that has a beginning and ending date and both the landlord and the tenant must comply with this.

You have posted this issue before and the problem is, in your fear of being confrontational, you have implied that you (to quote you) "don't have an issue with that" in regards to your landlords request that you move out early. Thus, the landlord fully believes you have agreed to the idea of moving out early.

Meanwhile your husband, who doesn't appear to like the landlord, blows his stack about, well, everything.

You need to grow a backbone and he needs to either handle the situation or take a chill pill and admit that last summer he was fine with the idea but now he's suddenly got a bug up a certain portion of his anatomy and doesn't wish to do this.

As such, since you're such a bag of pudding regarding confrontation, he needs to simply let the landlord know that the two of you are simply going to abide by what the current lease states and remain in the lease until it would normally end. End of story.

You complain that the landlord is flaky but some of this miscommunication may be your own fault for failure of you two to be forthright in answering this person.

Gail

 

[Who's Liable?]

Duplicate post?

 

[Mapper]

The owner of our house is finally getting the storm door replaced today. She still expects us to pay the installation fee. I will be working and on conference calls in the back room at the time she and the installer are coming and will not be able to answer the door or talk to them. My husband said he will deal with any issues with them when he gets home as I have pretty much wiped my hands clean of dealing with the owner. There is no reason they should need to come into the house. There is a 4'x4' entryway inside the storm door before the heavy door which locks. Not that they need a lot of room to install it, but that should give them more than enough room without me having to open the big door that leads into the house for them.

There's no reason why she should let herself into the house if I don't answer the door is there? Especially if she knows I can't be disturbed during that time? The repair has nothing to do with being inside the house. Also, can you explain to me why she feels the need to be here the entire time the door is being installed? The installation process is probably going to take a couple of hours. So is she just going to sit in her car the entire time and watch? I hope she doesn't plan on coming in to take a look around the house and figure out what else she wants to do to it once she moves back in!

Oh and I also wanted to add that when she was here last week she was saying about after we move out early so she can move back in that she wants to have a few weeks in between us moving out and her moving in so she can sand the floors. Then she asked me if we were going on vacation anytime soon and I said no. So she seemed to be asking in a roundabout way if we were going to be gone for a while so she could come in and do stuff! What on earth makes her think we would let her do that or why she thinks it's okay to ask that?!

 

[Zigner]

The owner of our house is finally getting the storm door replaced today. She still expects us to pay the installation fee. I will be working and on conference calls in the back room at the time she and the installer are coming and will not be able to answer the door or talk to them. My husband said he will deal with any issues with them when he gets home as I have pretty much wiped my hands clean of dealing with the owner. There is no reason they should need to come into the house. There is a 4'x4' entryway inside the storm door before the heavy door which locks. Not that they need a lot of room to install it, but that should give them more than enough room without me having to open the big door that leads into the house for them.

There's no reason why she should let herself into the house if I don't answer the door is there? Especially if she knows I can't be disturbed during that time? The repair has nothing to do with being inside the house. Also, can you explain to me why she feels the need to be here the entire time the door is being installed? The installation process is probably going to take a couple of hours. So is she just going to sit in her car the entire time and watch? I hope she doesn't plan on coming in to take a look around the house and figure out what else she wants to do to it once she moves back in!

Oh and I also wanted to add that when she was here last week she was saying about after we move out early so she can move back in that she wants to have a few weeks in between us moving out and her moving in so she can sand the floors. Then she asked me if we were going on vacation anytime soon and I said no. So she seemed to be asking in a roundabout way if we were going to be gone for a while so she could come in and do stuff! What on earth makes her think we would let her do that or why she thinks it's okay to ask that?!

With proper notice, the owner can come in and repair the floors whenever she wants. You really ARE a difficult tenant, aren't you?

 

[Mapper]

There's no reason for her to come in other than making sure she gets things done for herself before she moves back in whether it inconveniences us or not. There's no emergency. She can't expect us to move furniture out of the way so she can sand her floors while we're out of town. So we are to just give into her every time she stops by unannounced or with a 10 minute notice because she owns the house? Give into her when she asks us to pay the installment fee for the door when 99% of the other people I've heard from say that we should not have to pay a cent because we didn't cause the damage because she owns the house? Give into her when she asks us to move out 6 months early so she can move back in and not have to worry about finding another place to live because it's convenient to her even though it clearly states on the lease that we have until October, not April to move out because she owns the house?

So basically you are saying that no matter what, she has the upper hand on everything??

 

[Zigner]

There's no reason for her to come in other than making sure she gets things done for herself before she moves back in whether it inconveniences us or not. There's no emergency. She can't expect us to move furniture out of the way so she can sand her floors while we're out of town. So we are to just give into her every time she stops by unannounced or with a 10 minute notice because she owns the house? Give into her when she asks us to pay the installment fee for the door when 99% of the other people I've heard from say that we should not have to pay a cent because we didn't cause the damage because she owns the house? Give into her when she asks us to move out 6 months early so she can move back in and not have to worry about finding another place to live because it's convenient to her even though it clearly states on the lease that we have until October, not April to move out because she owns the house?

So basically you are saying that no matter what, she has the upper hand on everything??

Melodramatic much?

No, that's not was is being said. What is being said is that, with proper notice, the LL can enter the premises to make repairs.

Furthermore, you don't HAVE to leave early...don't know where you got that idea? I don't feel like hunting down your other thread(s) - but I'm fairly certain this was explained to you in at least one of them.

 

[Mapper]

Actually no I am the most unmelodramatic person you will ever meet. The landlord is a flake. Nothing weird about her keeping a small circle mirror taped on the ceiling above the toilet because it keeps the bad juju away!

 

[Banned_Princess]

Actually no I am the most unmelodramatic person you will ever meet. The landlord is a flake. Nothing weird about her keeping a small circle mirror taped on the ceiling above the toilet because it keeps the bad juju away!

juju is serious stuff. all the stops must be pulled to deflect it!

 

[Banned_Princess]

With proper notice, LL can come in to make any repairs or upgrades that she wants, and doesnt need your permission whatsoever.

You DONT have to leave early if you have not already put it in writing and signed it.

I think that is about it.

Oh the storm door install, Sure, you dont have to pay for it, but expect to fight about your security in court.

 

[Banned_Princess]

Ps, have you ever verified the definition of a "flake" as it pertains to someones personality, because you have demonstrated that you do not know its proper use.

 

[Mapper]

Uh...yeah. A flake is someone an eccentric with odd personality. I'd say with all her Feng Shui mumbo jumbo that she is a "flake". She "flakes out" (she even used that term) in forgetting about the door needing to be fixed.

 

[FarmerJ]

Mapper A little round mirror huh, well its time to make a aluminum hat , and if you know she is coming over even with proper notice make sure you use it to cover that tiny mirror up, WHY because she should already know that aluminum hats block the signals LOL, gnight

 

[Gail in Georgia]

"What on earth makes her think we would let her do that or why she thinks it's okay to ask that?! "

Probably because...... "a few weeks ago I told her we would leave early and even said (as my husband and I were talking about) that if we find a place before the end of April we may need to move out EARLY."

Just as you've previously agreed to pay the installation fee but have now changed your mind.

Better be careful who you're calling a flake here...

Gail