What to do if I illegally rented out my apartment and that person never paid me the last month’s rent and caused some moderate damage?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if I illegally rented out my apartment and that person never paid me the last month’s rent and caused some moderate damage?
I was househunting and found a great deal much quicker than I expected, so I bought the house and rented my apartment out to a person I found on craigslist. That person never paid me for the final month of rent/utilities, and caused some moderate damage to the apartment. Unfortunately, we did not have any kind of written agreement. What rights (if any) do I have in this situation? Would I have any chance of being reimbursed for the rent and/or damages if I were to sue in a small claims court?
Asked on May 1, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Indiana
Answers:
Esther Bryan Gayle / Law Office of Esther Bryan-Johnson
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
You said that you illegally rented out your apartment, I believe you meant that your landlord did not authorized the rental. If in your state law requires that your landlord be notified before you can do this, then courts do not reward people who break the law. And if you do not have anything in writing or a witness, even to go before an arbitrator to make your case, then...
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.