Do I have to pay rent if there is no lease?
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Do I have to pay rent if there is no lease?
So I have been renting a commercial
building since April of 2018. We never
signed a lease or anything though.
I had a really bad business month and am
now 2 months behind on rent but I am now
able to pay but we came to an agreement
that I would move out of the building by
the end of October this month. I have
now had 3 ocassion where the landlord
has come in to show the building to
people without notice and has left
complete strangers in the building alone
with 1000s of dollars of product and
equipment of mine and confidential
client information.
I’m beyond furious because I’ve told him
I was not comfortable with it. And he
didn’t even lock the front door when he
left last time
So my question is, since we don’t have a
written lease do I have to pay him
anymore money? Or since I have been
paying monthly since May legally I still
have to pay him?
Asked on October 21, 2018 under Real Estate Law, Idaho
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
Yes, you have to pay, and yes there is a lease--an oral, or unwritten one: the understanding or agreement between you and the landlord. However, oral leases are enforceable; and also, the law does not let you occupy or use another's property without paying. You have to pay for the full time you are there.
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