What to do if I want to break the lease in my low income apartmentsince my household income now exceeds their income restrictions but they won’t let me?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

What to do if I want to break the lease in my low income apartmentsince my household income now exceeds their income restrictions but they won’t let me?

Asked on September 7, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Texas

Answers:

B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 12 years ago | Contributor

You don't specifically mentioned that you have a lease, but considering that you are trying to "break the lease," I take it that you do have one. A lease is a written contract, which means that what is written in your lease contract controls how you begin and end your lease.   Most Texas landlords will use standardized lease forms which will contain sections that talk about how to end the lease early.  If your contract says that the lease terminates when you no longer meet income guidelines, then you can give the apartment complex notice that you are cancelling per that specific provision.  If your contract says you cannot end your lease early, but if you do you will be subject to certain penalties (like a default of your deposit), you can "break the lease" by giving notice and just moving, but understand the penalties associated with moving early.  If the penalties are too steep, consider just waiting until the lease expires naturally to move.  If this is a government funded program, you may want to talk to the agency that funds the program.  You may have a specific duty to report your higher wages to the agency.  Failure to report you income could result in civil and criminal penalties. Let the agency know that you are not trying to defraud the government, and then request their assistance in dealing with the apartment manager. 


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption