Getting out of a lease
A month ago I signed a lease for my apartment in salt lake city, Utah. I did not realize upon signing the lease that there was no air conditioning in the unit. Ten days after having lived in the apartment, a representative for the owner came by and inspected the apartment. He said that he would get the air fixed in the apartment. I have made several calls to the agency that rented the unit to me, and they have told me that they are working on it, and I still have no air conditioning. Aside from this, I am being transferred (for my job) to another state. I have a six month lease and have paid two of the six months so far. There are no terms in the lease agreement concerning breaking the lease. Will either of the two previously mentioned reasons be enough for me to break the contract without having to pay the full amount in rent?
Re: Getting out of a lease
WIthout reading the lease there is no way for me to tell. You can complain to the owner and ask for an early release, however, if the owners are stubborn you will have a problem. Generally a lease can only be broken when the apartment is uninhabitable. Your apartment is habitable, but is still miserable. You can also complain that you were decieved, and had you known the air was not working you would not have rented the place. Ultimately, it would have to be resolved through an agreement with the owners or with a court decree. If you do get a release from the owner, get it in writing.
Alvin Lundgren
Alvin R. Lundgren, L.C.
5015 W. Old Hwy 30 Ste 200
Mt. Green, UT 84050-9752