Hi thanks everyone for your help. I'm going to post the relevant section of the lease below to see if you guys think it will hold up in court... Because It looks like court is where this is headed.

"Renewals, Changes in Lease and Automatic Renewal. The Landlord may offer the Tenant a new lease to take effect at the end of this Lease. The new lease may include reasonable changes. The Tenant will be notified of any proposed new lease before the end of the present Lease. The Tenant must notify the Landlord in writing of the Tenant’s decision to stay or to leave at least thirty (30) days from the date of notification of a proposed new lease. This lease agreement shall automatically renew for a period of one year based upon the new terms set forth in the Landlord’s notice to Tenant in the event the Tenant fails to advise the Landlord in writing, within the time described, of Tenant’s intent to accept or reject the proposed new lease agreement."


Here's another clause that I can't understand in the least but I think it's saying that if I were to break my lease, I would instantly own all the money as a lump sum despite his requirement to mitigate damages… Thats my understanding of it anyway:

"Acceleration clause. Anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the premises herein mentioned are demised for the whole term with the whole amount or rent herein reserved due and payable at the time of the making of this Lease, and the payment of rent in installments, as above provided for, is for the convenience of the tenant only and in default of any installment payment of rent, then the whole of the rent reserved for the whole of the period then remaining unpaid shall, at the option of the Landlord, at once become due and payable without any notice of demand."