How long of a notice do I have to give before leaving?

[Jingo]

I am renting a condo and curious how long of a notice do I have to give before I leave.

I have basically given up on the deposit since I've only been here 2 months of a 6 month lease.

Since I've given up (should i not?) on the deposit, do I need to give notice before I leave or could I just tell them the day before or what?

Is it basically just up to my courtesy or are there rules on this sort of thing? I probably won't be coming back ever but still want to know.

Thanks.

[Gsxrnz]

If you're prepared to lose the deposit, just pay the electricity and water up to your last day. The deposit is the penalty for quitting the lease early which you're forgoing, so if you pay the rent and utilities up to the day you leave - no problems. You can give zero days notice on that basis.

[smutcakes]

In practical terms it does not really make a difference if you are prepared to walk away from your deposit, but i think to be courteous it would be good to inform your landlord and let them inspect the unit for any damage which could potentially be over and above the amount left as security deposit, although i am sure this is not the case. So however long it takes to inform your landlord and arrange a quick inspection.

[impulse]

Technically, you're on the hook for the entire lease period you signed.

I doubt it would happen, but it's possible your landlord could file a complaint against you for non payment and cause trouble on your leaving or re-entering the country.

Work things out with your landlord.

[jmccarty]

Should be clear in the contract. Some have a diplomatic clause if you are being transferred by your company. Most are for whatever the clear period is.

[wombat]

imho...the courteous thing to do would be...... give 4 weeks notice that you will not be renewing the lease.

[johnlandy]

How long is a piece of string.

If you don't know what you signed up for how the he11 can anyone else tell you.

[Khun Jean]

You signed a 6 months lease so you would need to pay for at least 6 months.

Remember the owner stopped advertising and needs to find someone new. That may be a reason to demand the 6 months payment.

Not all owners are rich, most of them are just people who live a simple life living of the rent.

And just imagine if it was the other way around, the owner telling you to leave while the lease period is not finished.

I can imagine the outrage when that happens.

Try to find some middle ground.

[Tanlic]

I manged condos for a client here for 5 years. Here's how I see it

All you need to do is call the owner and explain you have to leave. As him/her if they would like to inspect the condo for any damage, offer to give him/her a sum to cover any utility bills after you leave and go.

The fact you are breaking the lease means you lose your deposit as that is the penalty for doing so.

You therefor do not have to pay for the full period that's complete nonsense.

[gaucho]

u r technically breaking the lease ...in similar cases i have known the owners to have demanded full payment for the term ....forget your deposit ...no chance of getting that back ... i would just give the place a good clean and quietly leave without arousing suspicions ...your loss of deposit will cover any out of pocket expenses incurred to the owner ....lets face it ..if u were to advance him the full rent and left ....and he could rent it out next day he would ..and he wouldnt refund u ...lots of people will take the moral high ground ..but if they were faced with financial loss it would be different

[Mousehound]

In my opinion. I would think that the deposit is held against damages, cleaning etc, and the lease is the lease. If the property can be re-leased then there should only be the problem of the deposit. Therefore if you could find a tenant to take over the lease or take out a new one with the owner then, provided there were no damages and the property was clean you should be able (in theory) to get your deposit back. Conversely, if you had damaged the property and no one were to lease the property for the remains of the lease period you would be up for the remains of the lease and loose your deposit as well.

But I am not a lawyer so may have it wrong. Might be worth a chat with someone that really knows the answers - but it may cost you, for peace of mind.

[mickjn]

Give them a bit of notice,just do not walk out with a days notice.Do you worry about getting your deposit back even it you did the full term a lot make it hard to get your dough back.There are a few that will settle up no problems but a lot do anything to not give your deposit back