Do I have 72 hours to cancel a written lease agreement?

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Do I have 72 hours to cancel a written lease agreement?
I have been told that I have 72 hours from signing a rental contract to cancel it.
I asked for an additional 24 hours to make my decision but the landlord wanted to know immediatly.
Can I cancel this contract prior to moving in if within 72 hours?

2 thoughts on “Do I have 72 hours to cancel a written lease agreement?”

  1. Re: Do I have 72 hours to cancel a written lease agreement?
    Dear Inquirer:

    Nothing herein shall create an attorney-client
    relationship, unless a written retainer agreement
    is executed by the attorney and client. This
    communication contains general information only.
    Nothing herein shall constitute an attorney-client
    communication nor legal advice. There likely are
    deadlines and time-limits associated with your
    case; you should contact an attorney of your
    choice for legal advice specific to your personal
    situation, at once.

    If you haven’t alrdy done so, please visit my
    web site at —

    http://home.pacbell.net/edbjr/ OR

    http://www.CaliforniaDivorceAttorney.com

    The site contains quite a bit of general
    information about California Family Law, as well
    as information about me (education, experience,
    et cetera) and my office (location, hours, fees,
    policies).

    NOW, IN RESPONSE TO YOUR INQUIRY —

    There is one unusual situation in rent controlled areas,
    where the tenant has 72 hours to rescind. Otherwise,
    unless the rental contract provides for rescision, the
    answer is “NO” — unless you have legal cause (e.g.,
    landlord fails to give possession on time, habitability
    problems, et cetera.)

    Thanks for sharing your interesting inquiry with
    us on LawGuru, and good luck with your case.

    E. Daniel Bors Jr.
    Attorney & Counselor At Law
    24422 Avenida De La Carlota, Suite 310
    Laguna Hills, CA 92653-3638

  2. Re: Do I have 72 hours to cancel a written lease agreement?
    The answer is NO, there is no general right of rescission in a written lease. This misunderstanding may arise because there is such a right given, by statute, to purchasers of time-share interests (See Business and Professions Code section 11024).

    The general rule is that a contract, including a residential lease, can be rescinded only upon a material breach by the other party.

    Bryan Whipple
    Bryan R. R. Whipple, Attorney at Law
    P O Box 318
    Tomales, CA 94971-0318

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