Hi,
I am a renter in Philly, and wanted to move to a new apt this July. I wrote a letter to my management co. 35 days prior to the end of my lease, stating that I would not be renewing my lease ending on July 31, 2007. This letter was sent June 25th.
They replied on July 10th, stating that the lease auto renewed. Obviously this was my mistake, here is what the lease says: "The lease will AUTOMATICALLY RENEW for a term of one year at the End Date of this Lease or at the end of any Renewal Term unless:
1. Tenet gives Landlord at least sixty days written notice before end date of before the end of any renewal Term, or
2. Landlord gives tenant at least sixty days written notice before end date of before the end of any renewal Term."
Which seems very clear to me, although this is very unfortunate because I have already signed another lease on the other (better) side of the city.
The reply letter that they send on the 10th also states: "Please be aware that you are required to continue to pay your rent and additional charges when due and you will be responsible for any costs incurred in the re-leasing of your apartment which may include, but not be limited to repair of any damage and the leasing commission."
To make this situation more complex, My apartment was vandalized while I was out of town the weekend of the 7th. When I returned I filed a police report on the 8th (which was Sunday). The above reply was also dated on the 8th, and the mail was stamped on the 10th. They did fix the broken window (which was the extent of the damage), there was no personal property damaged or destroyed.
My questions are:
1. I know I should have be more aware of this renewal term, but I was never sent any notice or received any call involving the matter, does the renewal still hold? (I thought some states require a mandatory letter if the auto-renewal were to occur. Is PA one of them?)
2. Can I be billed for the vandalism? (The timing seems suspicious to me, why would they wait over two weeks to tell me the lease auto-renewed, and furthermore… sense when do these people work on Sundays, which is the exact day I filed the police report?) Perhaps I am being paranoid but it seems fishy.
3. What exactly, can they bill me for?
Thanks in advance, so for the run on sentences and poor grammar.
HP

