Ever had to leave a apartment lease early?

ebagg

I'm wondering if anyone has ever had to leave an apartment lease before it was up, and what you had to go through.

Backstory; a neighbor of ours alerted us that there's sex offenders in our small apartment complex. After checking online, we found out that there are 9 level 2 & 3 sex offenders in our apartment complex of 24 units, including the maintenance man who has keys to everyone's apartment. When we first moved in we were told this neighborhood was safe and everyone looked out for each other. Needless to say, my fiance and I feel the need to move.

r13

look in your lease first. it should have something in there what the owner has set forth when you signed up.

AstroZombie

I did a long time ago. I only had to pay rent up until the place was re-rented. And I was fortunate because someone rented it the month after I moved out.

Good luck, man. That is one f'ed up situation you're in right there.

Xenobond

When I had to leave, I had to pay the full amount remaining on the lease because I couldn't find anyone to take up the rest of the lease in that apartment. They also tacked on any discount we may have gotten from them at the time of signing.

Sean McBride

For my lease I have to give them 60 days notice and pay a full months rent.

What kind of crap is that? a sex offender maintenance man? Uhg, almost seems like something they would have to have posted up all over the place.

JKim3

Whoa, that really sucks. And yeah, that's really weird about the maintenance man.

I might have to cut my lease short, soon, so I asked the head office people what I could do. They said either sub-let or buy out the lease with 3 months of rent. Best to ask the building's admin, yeah.

ElysiumGX

I'm not sure of the levels of that registry, but I know people can be convicted as sex offenders for a number of reasons. Many of them only victimized someone related, or intimate with them. Women can be charged as sex offenders for showing their breasts in public. It's not murder. Even so, a felon can serve his time, be reformed and released, and possibly live on with his life. But the public views sex offenders (in the USA, and UK) as incurable til the day they die. I think instead, those who commit sex crimes should be labeled more specifically as to what they did, and why. Did they rape someone? And not just use one blanket term, like terrorist. While some can be very sick bastards, others could have just made a mistake years ago. It's the difference between a bank robber, and the kid who pirates movies.

Do you know the severity of the maintenance guy's charge? You're probably not in any harm from him. If you can't get out easily, I'd just keep your door locked and look for a better neighborhood to move to next. From the few searches I made, they're everywhere. Especially, LA and NewYork. But, you could just as easily be worried about anyone who hasn't made it on that registry...yet.

aesir

It is kinda odd that 9 out of the 24 units in your apartment have sex offenders...

However, I'd suggest to just wait out your lease and then move if you find a place. There are dangerous people where ever you go. Youre never going to find an apartment somewhere that has a building full of really nice harmless people. Besides, like elysium said, there are a lot of different types of sex offenders. Its likely that none of them are child molesters or rapists...

But then, if you guys are the type of people who get really paranoid about things like this and you're losing sleep over whether or not your neighbor is gonna try and rape your kittens, then by all means, move. If you can manage to be comfortable with the situation, then wait out your lease.

ebagg

You have good points ElysiumGX, sadly they aren't correct in this case. On the Washington sex offenders website it lists the exact offense, all nine of these offenders have raped someone, most of them have raped minors, but regardless, I don't want to live in the company of nine of them with my fiance. I don't think by any stretch of the imagination could such a place be recommended as "safe" like the manager told us when first checking the place out.

Also they have the whole level system for sex offenders, most of the ones living around me are level 3, which is the highest potential that they will re-offend, based on psyche evaluations and often times such individuals reject taking rehab. I wouldn't say they can't be "cured" (although, harsh as it may sound, I firmly believe anyone guilty of raping another person needs their genitals forcefully removed) but to chance it with 9 of them within a 10 second walk is not a risk I would ever care to expect my fiance to take.

We're talking with a lawyer, as well as neighborhood services, and we're going to take some tours of apartments not too distant, but less populated with ex-cons. Hopefully things will turn out well and the breaking of lease will not be as harsh due to the building manage lying to us to make a sale.

Moral of the story, whenever moving check out your local website on sex offenders, can be vital information for where you decide to live.

rooster

When I read elysiums post I was inclined to agree since you didn't mention specific charges- but if all 9 are convicted rapists then I agree with your instincts. Maybe they all do deserve the chance to rehabilitate, but that shouldnt be at the personal risk to anyone in the general community. Your landlord (as most seem to be) is pretty dishonest.

cholden

A lawyer could be of help breaking the lease anyway. Good friend of mine recently had a job transfer, and had to break his apt lease. To make a long story short, they tried to charge him out the wazoo until his attoney sent the apartment managers a nasty letter. That said, registered sex offender = witch hunt http://chrisholden.net/iwyd/iwyd12.htm

Scott Ruggels

In California, they have a megan's law website that allows you to check adresses, and they are linked with one of the map providers, I think google, so you you can see where they are, around your neighborhood. The local slang for sex offenders is now "blue dots", and if you click on the blue dot, you get a photo and rap sheet and status. A small blue dot means a minor offense like public exposure of genitals or statutory rape. a Big blue dot is for Forcible Rapes, and child molestation. Useful for picking neighborhoods. What is sad is seeing how many blue dots you see clustered around schools and parks...

Scott

ElysiumGX

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all nine of these offenders have raped someone, most of them have raped minors, but regardless, I don't want to live in the company of nine of them with my fiance.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh. Yeah, start packing and get the hell out.

Mark Dygert

For every one that is registered just think how many more have not been caught, yet... Now pack your crap and move to some remote mountain top and hope you don't get mauled by a cougar.

ebagg

Thanks very much to all for the caring input. The good news is we just took an amazing apartment for less than $100 more per month rent, and a few hundred more square feet. And a GREAT view of the Seattle area. ..and we were sure to check the washington web site (similar to what Scott described, red dots for level 3, yellow for level 2 sex offenders), and there are no such sex offenders in the immediate area.

I'm damn excited, this new place is going to rock. Moving in this Saturday. I know I've not been to active recently in this community, but if anyone's down, shindig at my new place soon!

Scott Ruggels

Good for you! good news!

Scott

oXYnary

[ QUOTE ]
but if anyone's down, shindig at my new place soon!

[/ QUOTE ]

Hope its not a BYOB?

Malekyth

Meh, I should be so lucky to have a registered sex offender in my neighborhood. I want out of the lease on my too-expensive apartment, which has eight months to go, more than anything ... but I have no grounds for breaking it. I'm not far from scraping up a sympathy plea by pretending to have been mugged ...

kleinluka

what if you find somebody else to take your place? you should be able to leave then. worked for me.... but i imagine it might be pretty hard to find a person to take a place in a house with dozens of sex offenders :S

good luck!