Advice about getting out of lease early

IamJen

We are in the middle of a 12-month lease on our flat (ends mid-June next year), and are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the place. It's kind of a trade off that they are not very prompt about fixing this, in that the landlord doesn't generally seem to care if we make some changes (like adding shelves in the bathroom, etc.) However, now the wall behind the kitchen sink is disintegrating (no backsplash), the bathtub is falling apart, and we have some weird smell that we're pretty sure is a leak. I've tried to call at least 10 times over the past week and get no answer/engaged signal at our letting agent. If I can't reach them in the morning, I'm going to go down to the office. Let's just say I'm not expecting a speedy reply. They've lost 3 keys in the times we've had the place (about a year and a half), didn't come for 2+ weeks when our back door was broken, etc. etc.

So, we could continue living here and we wouldn't die or anything, I'm sure, but we're planning to move at the end of the lease anyway, and are wondering if there's a way we could hasten this.

I've looked at our lease, and there's nothing about penalties for ending the lease early or anything that I saw (going to look again), so I'm not sure if we'd just be liable for the entire amount of unpaid rent, or what.

Does anyone have advice on how to proceed, and as to whether there are any options to get out? We can pursue the angle of the problems with the plumbing (many before this), door, keys, etc. but we're also wondering if there is a way to just pay a fee and get the hell out of there.

Thanks for any help that you can provide.

Ladybird20

When one of my tennants left there lease early (which i allowed) they were resposible for the re letting fee(which they paid),but it was all in the tennancy agreement anyway in one of the clauses.....

IamJen

Thanks. I will scour it again. Was the fee similar to what we paid initially for drawing up papers, credit checks, etc.?

Mutton_Geoff

If you're on a standard 12 month AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy) there is normally a break clause at six months (where you are now) so you should be OK with (usually two months) notice given.

IamJen

Hm. This is what we have (AST Agreement), but I don't see a clause. I'm going to have a third look. This would be ideal...an out for us.

Mutton_Geoff

Look near the end of the agreement .. "Surrender of the tenancy by the tenant".

sooz

Mutton_Geoff wrote: »

If you're on a standard 12 month AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy) there is normally a break clause at six months (where you are now) so you should be OK with (usually two months) notice given.

Their might be in yours, but this is not standard. It entirely depends on what it says in the OP's AST.

If there is no break clause, then (depending what it says in the AST), you may find yourselves liable for the remainder of your fixed term. That's why it's called a fixed term

You may be able to leave earlier via negotiation - get anything you agree with the LA/LL in writing. You may be asked to cover the reletting fees, the remainder of the LL's contract with the LA, & the rent whilst the property remains vacant.

Stop calling the LL/LA, and put all your complaints to them in writing (recorded delivery & copies to both) State when you first reported the problems & how many times you have contacted them since about the same problems, & a timescale by which you'd like the most urgent problems dealt with.

BTW - how can a bathtub fall apart?

IamJen

Heh. It's the caulking around the tub. It's large and oddly shaped and they built (I use that word hesitantly) this little cupboard next to it and caulked in the gaps. There are pieces of dried caulking and some sort of fiberboard that come apart all of the time. The flooring was breaking before (stone tile).

I looked again, and found a clause that said something to the effect that we can end the tenancy early if the landlord agrees, and we can be responsible for reasonable re-letting fees. (not really sure how much that would be).

If I don't hear back from them tomorrow wrt the suspected leak, I will send them a letter.

Thanks for the tips. I couldn't believe there wouldn't be anything in there at all, because people have to move for jobs, or having babies, or injuries, etc. before their terms end.

So, now we'll see. I talked more with the man tonight, and we'd definitely like to shave some time off of the end. We're hoping that if we're flexible, the landlord might be as well.