Moving Out Without a Signed Lease

**cavemon** · 04-19-2012, 04:31 PM

My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Maine

Last year, my roommates and I signed a 1 year lease with a property management company. The 1 year lease finished, and we wanted to continue staying at the house. The company liked having us as tenants, and agreed to let us stay. In a verbal agreement, we agreed to pay an extra 100 dollars per month (which we have been doing). About 3-4 weeks after the first lease ended, we got a new lease from the property management company, that they said to look over, sign, and return to them if everything looks good. Being college students, we promptly lost it in the first day and never turned it in. They never contacted us for it, or mentioned it again, and we have been living in the house for 9 months without a signed lease (but each still paying the correct amount in rent on time). The problem is, we want to move out in 6 weeks, and not sure what the rules are. We have no written agreement signed that says we will stay longer, but they might think we are staying for the full year (if that's what the lease said?). Are we liable for the full years rent?

Thanks!

jk · 04-19-2012, 04:49 PM

If you did not sign the lease, you are not bound by it. If they state otherwise, ask them to provide you a copy of the signed lease. Since you lost it, they obviously cannot have it.

**LawResearcherMissy** · 04-19-2012, 06:43 PM

Concur with JK.

With no signed lease, you're month to month tenants. Give your landlord 30 days written notice that you intend to vacate, clean the place spotless, and keep an eye on things to ensure you get your security deposit back.

**Mr. Knowitall** · 04-20-2012, 06:13 AM

Quoting cavemon

About 3-4 weeks after the first lease ended, we got a new lease from the property management company, that they said to look over, sign, and return to them if everything looks good. Being college students, we promptly lost it in the first day and never turned it in.

Within the context of this exchange did you actually agree to stay in residence for an additional year?

**cavemon** · 04-20-2012, 09:39 AM

To my knowledge, neither me nor my roommates verbally said we would stay in the house for a full year. However, the first lease was for a year, so we think that they wrote up the second lease to be a year as well. How strong would an unwritten verbal agreement be anyway if somehow they did bring us to court over this?