How to discontinue a rental contract?

[Linea_Norway]

Hi.

My co-worker and his wife rented a house last year and signed a rental contract for 1 year. Half a year later, they bought their own house. They knew of course that they had to pay their landlord another 6 months of rent and they don't disagree with that. They have asked the landlord whether they can just handover the house and pay the 6 months rent. But the landlord has denied this. My co-worker still needs to cut the grass the the rental house, even though he doesn't live there anymore. That sucks.

Is there anyone (a landlord?) who has an idea about how to convince the landlord to take over the home earlier? I would think that the landlord could just accept the 6 months rent and then rent it to someone else in the mean time.

[norajean]

Could your friend offer the house for free to anyone willing to cut the grass?

[Zamboni]

^While I think this idea is fraught with potential problems for your co-worker, I like it on the basic principle that the landlord is being an inflexible a-hole. Also, your friend needs to look up the landlord-tenant laws in your area because this requirement to keep cutting the grass after offering to pay out the remainder of the lease seems absurd . . . but it could be legal.

[Papa bear]

This is all really a state by state issue. But monetarily, they could just move out and just stop paying rent.   The landlords’ recourse for non payment of rent is a notice to vacate the property and an eviction.  They already vacated.  Landlord keeps deposit.   

Now, the landlord could sue them, and maybe get a judgement, or send them to collections, but it’s hard to force someone to pay you.

As a landlord, I would work with the tenants and get the place relisted, maybe keep an extra month of rent while it’s vacant, and call it even.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Linea_Norway]

Could your friend offer the house for free to anyone willing to cut the grass?

He is not allowed to rent it out to a third party.

[Jon Bon]

Landlord is a dumbass - you are getting money without having to provide a service. That means free money!

or

There is more to this story

[Gronnie]

In most states landlord has a duty to rerent the property, at which point your coworkers obligations would end.

[Zamboni]

https://www.apartmentlist.com/rentonomics/writing-notice-to-vacate-letter-template/

Edited to add: your co-worker doesn't have to do anything the landlord dictates. He or she can just ghost . . . best case is to ghost and provide an intent to vacate letter. Then be gone, like the wind. Certainly don't mow the lawn. Kiss the deposit goodbye, and perhaps expect to be taken to court (in which case just no show and lose, because who cares?)

I'm sorry, but I think my FU money might be showing.

[Linea_Norway]

I read the first half of the Norwegian low for rental properties. It said that a time-based contract needs to last at least for 3 years. You may only rent out a place for 1 year fixed, if it is a part of the house the landlord is living in, and needs that part of the home for good reasons (own children or so).
It says that is the contract is not in according with those rules, it can be seen as a normal, not time-fixed contract, that can be ended with the normal notice period.

I have sent the part of the law to my co-worker.

[Papa bear]

Ahh. I’m guessing that most of us are posting from a US perspective.   We would have no idea what Norway has in regards to landlord tenant law. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zamboni]

Sounds like the laws in Norway are even more tenant-friendly than in the US . . . so the landlord telling your colleague that they had to pay 6 months more rent AND keep cutting the lawn was a bunch of baloney. I hope your friend just writes and sends the notice to vacate letter and moves on with his or her life at the new home they bought.

[Linea_Norway]

Sounds like the laws in Norway are even more tenant-friendly than in the US . . . so the landlord telling your colleague that they had to pay 6 months more rent AND keep cutting the lawn was a bunch of baloney. I hope your friend just writes and sends the notice to vacate letter and moves on with his or her life at the new home they bought.

Yes, tennants are well protected by law and by standard rental contracts.

He appreciated that I had sent him the mail with the correct law paragraph and some yellow markings. But he thinks the place he is living now (where the rental is and his bought home is), is such a small place that he doesn't want to make fuss about it. Keep a good atmosphere with his landlord.

My choice would have been different because I can't stand injustice, but he is the one to decide.