How to Get Out of a Lease
My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Washington, DC
I am renting a one bedroom apartment in Washington, DC. My lease is not up until 11/1/09 and I am not sure I will make it that long. I have obnoxiously loud neighbors across the hall and above me. It is a 4 unit walk up apartment so you can hear basically everything. On top of the annoyance of the neighbors there is no heat in the apartment. The landlord provided 2 space heaters to heat the apartment with when I moved in, I didnt think anything of it because I like my space to be cool, but after telling my friends and family they seemed to be very disturbed by this so I'm guessing this is not an okay thing. Anyhow, the lease does not state anything on breaking the lease. I am wondering if there is a standard law of giving 30 days notice or some pay out option or if I am basically just screwed? Please help!
Re: How to Get Out of a Lease
You're in an apartment. You can hear your neighbors. That happens. So you politely approached your neighbors about the noise and they told you what? When that didn't work, you approached your landlord about the noise and your landlord did what?
You told your landlord "I have no heat." Your landlord said, "I can give you a couple of space heaters. Will that be good enough?" You said, "That's fine with me." Then your family member said, "That shouldn't be fine with you," so you went back to your landlord and said, "I would like the furnace fixed," at which point your landlord told you what?
Re: How to Get Out of a Lease
Yes I understand that most people can hear their neighbors in an apartment setting, however it is not only that I can hear them sometimes, it is constant with the loud music and screaming. I politely asked the man upstairs to turn down his music when he then cursed at me and slammed the door in my face. I then notified my landlord who said "he would talk to him." The noise subsided for about a week and then it went right back to where it was.
The space heaters really arent an issue to me, like I said I like it to be cool in my house, I'm thinking more along the lines of leverage with bringing this up.
So, again, my question remains, how do I legally get out of this lease?
Re: How to Get Out of a Lease
From what you've said so far, you wait until November.
Try talking to your landlord and seeing if he'll release you early.