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Stuck in a lease, can't afford anymore

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  • 26-02-2011 11:30am
    #1
    The Angry Nerd
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭


    Hi. Need some advice.

    Recently I lost my job. me and my GF moved into this house in july.
    She still works, but we cant afford rent anymore.
    I know if i want to move out I need to find someone to take over the lease. This is not possible, I dont know anyone that can take it over.
    So is there any way we can move out/end the lease?
    Cant afford it anymore, at the time we thought we would have no problem with it. But times have changed. She is pregnant too.

    Cheers for the help.


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    #2
    cojomo2
    Registered Users Posts: 3,216 ✭✭✭cojomo2


    The Angry Nerd wrote: »
    Hi. Need some advice.

    Recently I lost my job. me and my GF moved into this house in july.
    She still works, but we cant afford rent anymore.
    I know if i want to move out I need to find someone to take over the lease. This is not possible, I dont know anyone that can take it over.
    So is there any way we can move out/end the lease?
    Cant afford it anymore, at the time we thought we would have no problem with it. But times have changed. She is pregnant too.

    Cheers for the help.

    Tell the landlord your situation , tell him you will find a suitable new tenant that will sign a new lease and that he won't be out of pocket.

    Advertise on daft etc , find a suitable tenant , then if the landlord is happy with him/her ,problem solved.


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    #3
    edellc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,787 ✭✭✭edellc


    get your ll to call over and speak to him about your situation since you are unemployed you do have options as in you can apply for RA it will be means tested against your partners income but at least its an option, also you LL needs to approve it and there a lot of LL that wont do this
    Ask him to reduce the rent so you can meet the payments
    Realistically you can place advert on daft etc but that all costs money and also most LL want to vet new tenants themselves not have sitting tenant get new ones for them


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    #4
    Sunny Dayz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,377 ✭✭✭Sunny Dayz


    We queried that with our letting agent recently when we were signing into a one year lease. I was unemployed for a while last year so we were trying to cover the "what ifs" before we signed.

    We were told that there were two options for getting out of the lease early:

    1. We can arrange for someone to take over the lease for us.

    2. We can vacate the property, return the keys to the landlord and forfeight our deposit, the property is free for the landlord to rent.

    Now that's if you want to vacate the property before the lease is up...


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    #5
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    Main thing is communication, now tell your landlord the situation
    Talk to the landlord, don't ever dodge the calls or texts as then they get nervous and eventually angry.

    Landlords in Ireland know the score, they know people lose their jobs.

    If you can find a good new tenant to take over then it's no problem at all. The landlord may want to meet them and that's fair too


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    #6
    Cathmandooo
    Registered Users Posts: 17,324 ✭✭✭✭Cathmandooo


    Sunny Dayz wrote: »
    We queried that with our letting agent recently when we were signing into a one year lease. I was unemployed for a while last year so we were trying to cover the "what ifs" before we signed.

    We were told that there were two options for getting out of the lease early:

    1. We can arrange for someone to take over the lease for us.

    2. We can vacate the property, return the keys to the landlord and forfeight our deposit, the property is free for the landlord to rent.
    Now that's if you want to vacate the property before the lease is up...

    The bold bit very much depends on your lease. If you sign a lease for a year you can be chased for the remaining rent by the landlord through the prtb, it's not just a matter of forfeiting your deposit.


    +1 to feelingstressed's post, go talk to your landlord, be open and honest.


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    #7
    goat2
    Registered Users Posts: 4,939 ✭✭✭goat2


    The Angry Nerd wrote: »
    Hi. Need some advice.

    Recently I lost my job. me and my GF moved into this house in july.
    She still works, but we cant afford rent anymore.
    I know if i want to move out I need to find someone to take over the lease. This is not possible, I dont know anyone that can take it over.
    So is there any way we can move out/end the lease?
    Cant afford it anymore, at the time we thought we would have no problem with it. But times have changed. She is pregnant too.

    Cheers for the help.
    go tell the landlord your story as it is, you do not have the money to pay rent, if this person has any heart in these bad times, he will say i am sorry, and give you a chance, by either bringing down price of rent for six to twelve months, give you a chance to get back of your feet, and if that cannot help, give you back your deposit, and wish you luck,

    it is not right of people not to understand for others who fall on hard times, we are all feeling it badly right now, and we have to give and take, as they say, give a little, gives back a lot,


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    #8
    spoonface
    Registered Users Posts: 339 ✭✭spoonface


    Cathmandooo wrote: »
    If you sign a lease for a year you can be chased for the remaining rent by the landlord through the prtb, it's not just a matter of forfeiting your deposit.

    I've walked away from 2 leases before they completed and had no further trouble than losing the deposit. So while it'll piss a landlord off, they'll be very unlikely to chase you further for the remaining months rent, IMO.


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    #9
    goat2
    Registered Users Posts: 4,939 ✭✭✭goat2


    you only signed for one year and you are in there since july, one month notice does the trick, but i would by all means have a heart to heart with landlord, i bet things would come good out of it


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    #10
    Baralis1
    Registered Users Posts: 350 ✭✭Baralis1


    cojomo2 wrote: »
    Tell the landlord your situation , tell him you will find a suitable new tenant that will sign a new lease and that he won't be out of pocket.

    Advertise on daft etc , find a suitable tenant , then if the landlord is happy with him/her ,problem solved.

    OP, you only have to find a tenant who is willing to take over your lease. It dosen't matter if the landlord is happy with the tenant or not. They still have to release you from the lease and return your deposit. Whether they allow the new tenant to move in or not is not your problem. There are a number of ways of finding a tenant. Advertise on local supermarket notice board, online sites, notice in the window, or outside your place, ad on the paper, notice on the notice board at your GF's or a relative or friend's workplace etc. Go with the cheapest/free options first if money is tight.


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    #11
    Cathmandooo
    Registered Users Posts: 17,324 ✭✭✭✭Cathmandooo


    spoonface wrote: »
    I've walked away from 2 leases before they completed and had no further trouble than losing the deposit. So while it'll piss a landlord off, they'll be very unlikely to chase you further for the remaining months rent, IMO.

    I'm glad that's your experience, I'm saying they 'can' chase you for the remaining rent. Your 2 points by that letting agent certainly does not apply to all leases so I was adding that a landlord can legally insist on you fulfilling the contract you willingly signed.

    I don't mean to be doom and gloom, I do think and hope that if the OP approaches their landlord and explains the situation that anyone with a heart and common sense will help this person out and allow the lease to be broken or the rent highly reduced for a short while at least.


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    #12
    Baralis1
    Registered Users Posts: 350 ✭✭Baralis1


    I would stick with the legal route by the way. Personally I wouldn't just walk away and leave the deposit. At least put a good effort into finding someone. If you're unemployed, you should have plenty of time on your hands for putting effort into finding tenants as well as job hunting. But I suppose if you really can't find someone, and things are desperate enough, you'll have to take your chances and just move out. Keep in touch with the landlord as advised.


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    #13
    rubberdiddies
    Closed Accounts Posts: 717 ✭✭✭rubberdiddies


    Or just do what my tenant did and just not pay rent. As a landlord there's nothing you can do about that! Took us 3 months to get them out. Landlords have no rights, well none that are easily enforceable.

    OP, approach your landlord and be completely up front. A lot of people are reasonable. I know I would be


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