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'Read your lease! We were doing you a favor': Renter tries to leave the 'worst apartment,' management insists they pay fees hidden in the lease

Signing a lease for an apartment sight unseen is taking quite the risk. But this person, u/aalilyah, was living in Los Angeles, and couldn't get to New York to see the place before moving in. The OP then realized their new home wasn't as great as they'd hoped. 

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Posted by RemyMill
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  • I recently moved in New York, and I toured some truly frightful apartments before finding a gem. One place I toured looked beautiful online, with marble countertops and floors. But in real life, it was poorly constructed, and had baby cockroaches all over the place, from the counters to the floors. I was scared to go inside as I toured it with a couple, who also turned their noses up at the place. There were roach babies in each room, and just as I started to relax and actually look around, a rat or other animal began scuffling loudly inside the walls! I fled outside. 

    The next day, I joked to the realtor that they'd have a tough time finding someone to scoop the place up. Nope, they assured me. Someone had bid on it the same day I toured it, and that person was going to lease the apartment, sight unseen. Best wishes to that buyer, truly. You just never know what you're getting into if you do that. 

    The OP also got duped into their apartment, writing that they have to hike up seven flights of stairs each day, and that their accommodations just aren't working out, despite the high price point. Their landlords didn't want them to leave, though, and insisted the OP read the lease. Ok! Whatever you say…

    After you read through this satisfying story, check out these turkey days gone hilariously wrong. 

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  • 1
    Pri 長安聯 PRAD 營食記 中國地理
    Via Andreas M on Unsplash
  • 2
    You want me to read the lease. If you say so. L OC Long time lurker first time poster. I just had the best malicious compliance today and thought I would share.
    Via u/aalilyah
  • 3
    Back Story: I moved to the big apple in April from LA and signed a lease for an apartment sight unseen. It was the same price as my LA apartment but while in LA $1350 gets you a master bedroom with a walk in closet, private bath and three roommates. In NYC for $1350 they've turned my closet into the bathroom and I now weigh 135.0 lbs thanks to the 7 flight of stairs that I had to walk up everyday. Some days I would raise my arms to put on
    Via u/aalilyah
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  • 4
    deodorant and scrape my elbow on the ceiling. One of my 5 roommates was an RN though so there was the upside. The only saving grace was that this apartment was pet friendly and had a in unit washer and dryer.
    Via u/aalilyah
  • 5
    I hated living there and after two months when my job said I could work remotely I packed up and went to the Caribbean. While I was there I won the NYC housing lottery. For the first time in my life I could afford to live by myself in NYC of all places. I'd read in forums that landlords are usually pretty happy for tenants when they win and let you out of your lease no problem.
    Via u/aalilyah
  • 6
    Present: So in my optimism I sent the management company an email letting them know that I won the lottery and wanted to discuss terminating my lease early. They told me to speak to the brokerage to get my room filled. The brokerage told me that I would need to pay a brokers fee of $1350 and still pay rent until they filled the unit or I could try and fill it myself.
    Via u/aalilyah
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  • 7
    I find a guy who was already applying with the broker for another unit and he wants my room! Then management says they want the guy I found to pay $1400. This is genuinely the worse apartment that I've lived in I don't feel right trying to get someone to pay $1400 for this room.
    Via u/aalilyah
  • 8
    I'm in a bit of a time crunch as new guy wants to move in August 1st so I need to hire movers to take my stuff to storage the next day but if I don't get the approval from management that everything is good to go on their end then there's no point. So I need management to agree to let this guy take over my lease for the price that is on my lease. I
    Via u/aalilyah
  • 9
    argue that a new price would be a new lease and if they want to do that they would have to release me from the lease and market the apartment at this new price point. They refuse saying that I should pay the brokers fee or forfeit my deposit and continue to pay rent until they get my room rented.
    Via u/aalilyah
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  • 10
    I'm upset because management basically wants to make more money and assume no risk. I would end up paying until they rent out the awful room to someone. I tell them this is unfair and makes no sense.
    Via u/aalilyah
  • 11
    Then management tells me well there's no lease take over in the lease. I'm confused because I vaguely remember reading something about a $500 fee for a lease take over.
    Via u/aalilyah
  • 12
    "Read your lease! We were doing you a favor before but now we're only going by the lease!" Management tells me. So I find my lease because I remember there being this $500 clause.
    Via u/aalilyah
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  • 13
    I never found the $500 clause because written on the first page of the lease was Clause 2. Length of Lease: The term (that means length) of this Lease is beginning on 2/1/2022 and ending on 8/31/2022*.*
    Via u/aalilyah
  • 14
    I'm elated! My move in date for my new place is 8/25/2022 so I no longer need to rush. All because management told me to read my lease. I give them back a call and request the email address to send my 30 Day notice of intent to vacate or if it should be mailed as it's not specified in the lease.
    Via u/aalilyah
  • 15
    Management tells me that I can't break the lease. I tell them, I'm not it ends next month. I send them a photo of the first page of the lease.
    Via u/aalilyah
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  • 16
    He sputters and says, "You know it's a year long lease! This is a typo. As you know I just took over managing the building and I inherited some bad leases. " I didn't know this but I gleefully respond "Well I was doing you a favor before but now I can only go by the lease. If the lease says my term ends next month I have to honor that."
    Via u/aalilyah
  • 17
    He hangs up furious that this is happening. At this point I am no longer concerned about hiring movers so when he calls me back at 8PM I am ready to tell him the cut off for the movers was 4:00PM and that I will move out according to lease but he starts the conversation in a somber defeated voice, "You can move out on the on the 31st. We just have to go according to the lease. We will do a final walk through and give you back your deposit."
    Via u/aalilyah
  • 18
    As I am still in the Caribbean my cousin will be subletting for August and I will be moving into my new apartment when I get back. Everything worked out in the end all because I read my lease.
    Via u/aalilyah

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landlord sign move malicious compliance malicious-compliance-reddit landlords apartments contract new york moving malicious compliance reddit apartment

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