How long after signing a lease do you have to cancel?
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How long after signing a lease do you have to cancel?
I signed a lease less than 48 hours ago and I want to cancel due to the unsafe condition and location of the property. The leasing consultant refuses to give us a copy of the lease agreement as we requested. We asked to be moved to another unit, but they do not have any available, so we asked to be released from the lease and they say that we are required to stay for 60 days under the agreement.
Asked on May 26, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Maryland
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
There is no recissionary period--that is, you have no period of time to change your mind and cancel it. Once you sign, you are bound.
You may have grounds to get out of the lease if the property is not habitable owing to something the landlord has done--e.g. no heat, big hole in wall, lots of mold, etc. Those would be violations of the "implied warranty of habitability." However, location is NOT grounds to get out of a lease--first, there is no fault by the landlord involved; and second, it's not like they moved the building after you signed the lease...you had the opportunity to look into the location prior to signing.
If the lease provides for termination on 60 days notice, you can do that. You may wish to consult with a landlord-tenant attorney to help you give notice, get a copy of the lease, and also see what recourse you may have for habitability issues.
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