I’ve lived in my current apt for almost 2 years. After 1 year I thought the rental contract would go to a month to month contract as it has everywhere else I’ve ever lived. But my landlord said, “No, it is a year by year contract.”
But I’m going to be moving in the middle of the contract (after having been living here for 2.5 years).
Another woman in the same building has lived here for 7 years and she says she’s still on a year by year contract.
Can the landlord really penalize me and charge me the 1 or 2 month deposit if I move out after living here for 2.5 years? That would create a lot of bad energy.
If so, I’ll be extremely pissed. That would make no sense at all to me, there’s only a 1 in 365 chance that you’ll happen to move on an anniversary of when you move in.
Everyplace I’ve ever lived, and ever hear about ( in america and Taiwan) is such that you sign a one year contract, then after that it’s month by month.
Except there was an apt I lived in in Taipei where it was one 6 month contract, then month by month after that.
well if you signed the contract, then yes the landlord can penalize you. you can try to talk to him and give him a heads up. the earlier the better. or better yet post on tealit or some other ads and find a replacement. i will guarantee that he’ll let you off to sign the new guy to a new one year contract.
I’ve never heard of a month-by-month contract, here or in the UK, except for short-term leases, and if I was a landlord I sure as hell wouldn’t countenance such a thing. Sounds weird.
It is normal to sign contracts every year. However, if you think your circumstances may change within that year, you can tell the landlord that it is likely you will leave before the year’s end. You can get him/her to remove the clause for early termination of the contract.
One thing I have seen in Taiwan is that after the first year, you can get out of a contract as long as you give a month’s notice. Although that may be on a case by case basis.
I’ve been here almost 2 years. After one year he said I could stay another year or get out, that if I left early I’d be penalized 2 months worth. I hope this time he changes and lets me leave when I need to. Anything otherwise would beg for negative retaliation. I can’t imagine someone thinking that someone would happen to move on an exact anniversary of when they moved in.
[quote=“Captain Coconut”]I’ve lived in my current apt for almost 2 years. After 1 year I thought the rental contract would go to a month to month contract as it has everywhere else I’ve ever lived. But my landlord said, “No, it is a year by year contract.”
But I’m going to be moving in the middle of the contract (after having been living here for 2.5 years).
Another woman in the same building has lived here for 7 years and she says she’s still on a year by year contract.
Can the landlord really penalize me and charge me the 1 or 2 month deposit if I move out after living here for 2.5 years? That would create a lot of bad energy.
If so, I’ll be extremely pissed. That would make no sense at all to me, there’s only a 1 in 365 chance that you’ll happen to move on an anniversary of when you move in.[/quote]
I left mid-year from one school - no, not fired - and had no problem with the deposit because I had been a good tenant - paying on time, not causing problems, etc. I also gave notice of the change well in advance.
If you’ve been a good tenant and he’s got 2+ years of rent out of you, he might be reasonable, especially if you get your current and/or future employer to explain the situation.
But if you don’t ask any questions, you won’t get any answers.