r/RealEstate•
pabuuuu

I need help getting out of a lease that I stupidly signed in another state.

Okay r/RealEstate, here's my story...

I am a resident of Washington state. I have just finished my first year of college in Texas, with plans of spending my four years of college there. I had signed a year-long lease (August 2012-August 2013) with an apartment complex near my campus so I could stay in my own place next year. But, once I came back home for the summer, I had a change of heart and decided to stay home and attend the University of Washington instead to save money and be closer to family. The problem is, I stupidly signed the lease.

I had finished all the paperwork and faxed it in, then five days later, on June 3rd, I had decided to stay home for school and I gave them a call telling them that I wanted to cancel the lease. Unfortunately, I missed the three day grace period to cancel the lease (I'm not terribly familiar with Texas real estate laws, but upon browsing the internet I think this may have applied to my situation). I begged them to let me cancel it, since move-in day wasn't even until August 25th and I hadn't made any payments at all, not even an application fee. They wouldn't budge, and told me I need to make the payments in full at the start of each month, unless I found someone who would take over my lease. After a whole month of asking friends and posting on Craigslist looking for someone to re-let my room to, I am still stuck with this stupid decision of mine.

BUT, I might have found a way out. I just got an email saying:

I am just emailing to let you know that we are still missing a new copy of your guarantor form. The one that we have on file is cut off. Please let me know if there is anything else we can do for you.

My mother had signed on to be my guarantor, but the form was a little long so when faxing/scanning, the bottom part (the part where all her information is written) would be cut off. I thought I had fixed it and sent them the full form, but apparently not. If the papers they have on file aren't complete, then doesn't that technically mean that I can't live there, therefore preventing me from paying rent? I really need help on getting out of this. If I can't, then that's $6,000 down the drain due to one dumb decision of mine.

TL;DR: I am from Washington, I signed a year-long apartment lease in Texas, then decided to move back home. I couldn't get out of the lease when I asked even though I haven't made any payments at all, but I may have found a way out of it since the guarantor form they have on file is not complete. Does this mean I can get out of this lease without paying anything?

Posted Jul 10, 2012, 5:26 AM UTC

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