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Apartment policies and cash grab - WWYD

imthanick_a

Autocross Champion
Just curious what other people would do in my situation - I know what I'm going to do but want to see other points of view

TL;DR: My apartment is making me pay for renters insurance and the garage I don't use, for an apartment that I no longer have any belongings/residence in.

Story time for the bored ones who want to read

I bought a house, closed May 31st and had the keys in hand June 1. Moved in that weekend. I tried to cancel my lease on my apartment in June, gave a heads up and asked if I could terminate my lease after June was over. They said I could, but I would have to pay the rest of the months of rent (770 a month, pay for July and August since the last day of my lease is August 26th) and on top of that an "early cleaning fee" of the equivalent of 1 months rent. My other option was to just continue to pay rent until my lease was up. "Sorry, but thats policy and we cant let you terminate early without fees". And they wouldn't let me sublet either. So I went with the latter and just sucked it up.

So I then asked "Since I'm not living here, can I at least turn in my garage door opener so I don't have to pay 70 bucks for the June, July, and August?" Their answer was maybe, send it in writing in an email. Turned in my opener since I didnt need it and then sent it in email the next day that I'd like to cancel. They again said, "No, its policy." Then I started getting mad. I went and got my opener back so they couldnt rent out my garage from under me since they knew I longer lived there (garage is a separate building from the apartment units so they are not "personal" garages.)

After all my stuff was out, I turned off the main breaker to the unit and turned off all gas connections and terminated my electric and gas accounts for that place, as well as terminated my renters insurance policy since I had nothing there that needed covered. Renters insurance policy was already paid for until august 6th.

Today I get an email saying that "You need to have an active policy while you are an active tenant blah blah blah" To which I responded - I'm not an active tenant, and have no belongings in the unit that need covered". They then insisted I get a policy. I'm not doing it. I told them I refuse to pay renters insurance for 20 days on an apartment that I am not using.

I am not going to pay it unless they threaten legal action. I know its only like 20 bucks for the insurance policy so it's not worth fighting. My worry now is they will see I cancelled my utilities then get on me for that too, even though there is zero chance that any electric or gas is being used in that apartment so there should be no charge. (minus whatever upkeep charges they always mark on the statements)

Am I wrong for thinking its a complete highway robbery that I can't stop the payments for the garage and renters insurance? They have no problem renting out garage spaces. I was on a waiting list to get both spaces under one door (you can rent one space and share a two car garage with someone but I wanted both spaces for my two cars) for two months before I finally got my garage. And if I have no belongings there, and no residency, then why do I need renters insurance, besides "policy"?

I'm probably going to get a lot of shit from people "it's in your lease so you need to do what they say" but when I applied for the garage I was told that I could get rid of the garage whenever I wanted. Just didn't get it in writing because I didn't think it would ever be an issue

EDIT: Was just told that I need to re-open my utility accounts. For one month. For utilities that are turned off immediately downstream of the meters.
 
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adam1991

Banned
You are obligated to the terms of the lease that both of you signed (provided those terms are lawful, of course).

You want to do something outside the terms of the lease. Are THEY trying to do something outside the terms of the lease?

Suck it up, but adhere strictly to the lease agreement. If the lease agreement says you have to have renters insurance, well, yeah, you signed it. But if it doesn't, and they're just saying that out of habit, you can safely ignore it--you don't even have to respond to them when they bring it up on the phone. Let them start some sort of legal action if they want--but they won't. Unless they're idiots. And if they do, and it's not in the lease agreement, then you respond to their legal action with the facts. If they take it further with the facts not on their side, it sucks but you have to deal with that.

Same with the garage. Sounds like you did a handshake deal, but they weren't shaking hands--they were doing something else. If it's in the lease agreement that you're also paying for the garage, then so be it.

They can choose to let you out of your lease, but their not choosing that route doesn't make them dicks. It makes them business people, doing business on a business level. It's not personal.

I'll catch plenty of haterade for this, but in a business deal get EVERYTHING in writing. Also, everything's negotiable--there's no such thing as a "standard lease agreement".
 

wlfpck

Ready to race!
I think you'll have to pay the early termination fee and get out of your contract.

If you've signed a contract, unfortunately, that's all you can do.
 

imthanick_a

Autocross Champion
You are obligated to the terms of the lease that both of you signed (provided those terms are lawful, of course).

You want to do something outside the terms of the lease. Are THEY trying to do something outside the terms of the lease?

Suck it up, but adhere strictly to the lease agreement. If the lease agreement says you have to have renters insurance, well, yeah, you signed it. But if it doesn't, and they're just saying that out of habit, you can safely ignore it--you don't even have to respond to them when they bring it up on the phone. Let them start some sort of legal action if they want--but they won't. Unless they're idiots. And if they do, and it's not in the lease agreement, then you respond to their legal action with the facts. If they take it further with the facts not on their side, it sucks but you have to deal with that.

Same with the garage. Sounds like you did a handshake deal, but they weren't shaking hands--they were doing something else. If it's in the lease agreement that you're also paying for the garage, then so be it.

They can choose to let you out of your lease, but their not choosing that route doesn't make them dicks. It makes them business people, doing business on a business level. It's not personal.

I'll catch plenty of haterade for this, but in a business deal get EVERYTHING in writing. Also, everything's negotiable--there's no such thing as a "standard lease agreement".

I don't disagree. I wish I would have gotten it in writing. There was no written agreement for the garage other than "I wont mess it up and break stuff" basically. The garage agreement was separate and optional from the apartment lease, and the lease doesn't mention the garage.

I hate business shit like this. I'm hoping they will let me just turn my keys in and pay the rest of the lease out. The last communications I got from them was that I am required to hold the utilities accounts as long as I have the keys so I asked if I could just give them the keys. Anxiously awaiting the next "policy" that says no.
 

MonkeyMD

Autocross Champion
So your garage is probably an addendum to the lease which most likely had its own term. These sometimes correspond to your appt term and sometimes they are month to month. As Adam said, go read your lease. Regardless, you essentially have a month and a half. The likelihood of them taking legal action for not having utilities or insurance is unlikely. It's still a risk, but unlikely.
 

adam1991

Banned
I don't disagree. I wish I would have gotten it in writing. There was no written agreement for the garage other than "I wont mess it up and break stuff" basically. The garage agreement was separate and optional from the apartment lease, and the lease doesn't mention the garage.

Don't forget that THEY ALSO have to abide by the terms of the written agreement.

What's that? No written agreement? Huh. Don't pay them for the garage.

It works both ways. You're under no obligation to be "the nice guy" and do whatever they want you to do, just because...they want you to do it.



I hate business shit like this. I'm hoping they will let me just turn my keys in and pay the rest of the lease out. The last communications I got from them was that I am required to hold the utilities accounts as long as I have the keys so I asked if I could just give them the keys. Anxiously awaiting the next "policy" that says no.

Again, what's in the written and signed lease agreement? They want you to do some things; that doesn't hold you responsible for doing those things.

They can say anything they want, but only the signed agreement holds any meaning.

Don't hate the business stuff. It's not personal, it's business. Same with buying a car and buying money to pay the car off--it's just business. So what if Lenny the F&I guy throws a story at you about how you're taking food out of his childrens' mouths; if he's handing you the keys, that's all that matters. (He's also lying.)

Embrace the business stuff, because that's how you get ahead--or don't get screwed and left behind--in the world.
 

southpawboston

Drag Racing Champion
Does it state anywhere in the lease that they can rent your unit to a new tenant once you vacate it but while you're still bound by the lease? In MA, there is a state law that basically requires landlords to terminate your lease if they find new tenants during the term of your lease. I wonder if your apartment management are going to try to rent it out now that you're gone, and double-dip in terms of rental income.
 

SweetJones_29

Ready to race!
How do they know you canceled your insurance?
 

imthanick_a

Autocross Champion
Reading the lease in full tonight. There are no portions of the lease that talk about the garage, and I didn't see anything saying I couldn't sublet the unit or the garage. They require the insurance policy on file and sent a notice that it was expiring before my lease ended. I still have the keys to the place and the garage door opener. I offered to the to just turn my keys in and pay the rest of the rent. We will see what happens from there

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 

GTI Jake

Autocross Champion
My general rule on renting is dont. If you must, expect to get shafted no matter what when you leave.

I’ve never rented personally, always lived in areas where I could afford to just buy and save money vs renting but I realize most of the world doesn’t work like that. The renter is always going to win and stack fees so just do your best to finish lease contracts whenever possible. Tons of guys I work with have been in similar situations to the OP, unfortunately they all needed to pay up in the end. Congrats on the new house and good luck with wrapping things up with the lease. It would be worth at least trying to speak with a manager, maybe work a deal, but that’s kind of unlikely
 

imthanick_a

Autocross Champion
I read the lease, and there is a clause in an addendum saying I cannot sublet. There is however, nowhere in the lease that states I have to pay the remaining months of rent if I terminate my lease early... They do mention the early termination fee but no mention of anything regarding paying out the remaining months worth of rent. I've been bamboozled. I should have checked this in May when I first asked them about early termination.

My general rule on renting is dont. If you must, expect to get shafted no matter what when you leave.

I’ve never rented personally, always lived in areas where I could afford to just buy and save money vs renting but I realize most of the world doesn’t work like that. The renter is always going to win and stack fees so just do your best to finish lease contracts whenever possible. Tons of guys I work with have been in similar situations to the OP, unfortunately they all needed to pay up in the end. Congrats on the new house and good luck with wrapping things up with the lease. It would be worth at least trying to speak with a manager, maybe work a deal, but that’s kind of unlikely

I wish I could have afforded not to rent, but the GTI took my savings after graduation ;)

Thanks for the well wishes!
 

imthanick_a

Autocross Champion
I got lucky a hold of the manager and she agreed to not make me pay utilities and insurance, just rent, and have me turn in my keys. She even made a nod to how her workers handled the situation improperly. Jake was right, manager was a good route to go. I'm sure she sees it as, "he's not there anymore, we can have him pay the rent and then rent it out earlier than expected and make double rent money", while the workers just saw it as "nope, its policy". Glad this worked in my favor, i wasnt expecting good results
 

Firstboost

Go Kart Champion
My general rule on renting is dont.

Not everyone is able to afford a mortgage where they live as you mentioned. We rented for about 8 years before we were able to buy our house. Honestly, aside form the annual rental increase, our renting experience was quite tolerable, but I know others, like OP, have nightmare experiences.
 

imthanick_a

Autocross Champion
Not everyone is able to afford a mortgage where they live as you mentioned. We rented for about 8 years before we were able to buy our house. Honestly, aside form the annual rental increase, our renting experience was quite tolerable, but I know others, like OP, have nightmare experiences.

Up until I moved out, my renting experience was great. They increased rent by 20 bucks or so a year but other than that no complaints at all. The staff was all friendly until I told them I was moving out. The manager of the place was very nice but the desk people were not. Its almost like they took it personally. I probably should have waited another year to save up some more for a DP but I figured if I could afford a house at all, I should. Even if I don't plan on staying there forever, it's basically renting but you get your money back when you move out. (so long as your can strike a good deal with the buyer/mortgage company)
 
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