My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Virginia.
May 15--I provided notice of intent to vacate and break lease provided, roughly 45 days ahead of June 30 date. So, I did not provide 60 days as requested. Nonetheless, the end date was accepted by all parties and no further information on repercussions were communicated to us, the tenants.
Before and after this point, we were told by a property management rep that a one month penalty was applicable. In the conversation my wife, at the end of May, the rep also reiterated that the owners were selling the home and a one month penalty was in play. We took it for granted that this was correct, and acted upon this information, in executing our move out. The owners had been interested in selling for months and even offered us the house.
June 22--the proposed lease termination agreement included the two month penalty and other already agreed upon language. I was completely fine with the proposed agreement, the owners had already signed said agreement, and I only asked for clarification about the two month penalty. During the next week, I had several exchanges about the 2 month penalty with property management because I was confused about the delay in response about what appeared to be a straightforward matter.
June 29--the new lease termination agreement arrives with an email informing us that the owners no longer wish to sell the home and the two month penalty remains in the agreement with no clarification. They then placed the house on the rental market approximately nine days later (July 8) but for a six month lease. This makes the house extremely difficult to rent considering it is a 3000 sq ft home that appeals to families. I am not sure what family would move in and then out in midwinter.
It appears to me that the key issue now is not the two month penalty but (1) the botched communication about the one month penalty and (2) the landlord's duty to mitigate. Regarding the first, should I ask the property management company to pay for the month of August in light of their faulty communication about the one month penalty? Regarding the latter, the owners via the property management rep had communicated a desire to sell the house, only to wait until later on in the summer to seek a renter and do so under a criterion that makes it extremely hard to do so.

