If I signed a lease for an apartment but no money ever exchanged hands and I never moved in, am I liable for any rent?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If I signed a lease for an apartment but no money ever exchanged hands and I never moved in, am I liable for any rent?
They have filed a bad note on my credit saying I owe an entire year worth of rent. Is this legal?
Asked on February 15, 2016 under Real Estate Law, Iowa
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
You are absolutely liable for your rent, based on what you write. A lease is a contract; once you sign a contract, you are obligated to it. It is your act of signing that obligated you--the contract/lease is effective when you sign, and does not need to wait for the first payment to be enforceable. And it is irrelevant when or if you ever moved in--that has nothing to do with your obligations under the lease. So if you signed a year lease, in doing so, you became obligated that moment for a year's rent.
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.