Breaking Lease After Getting Off Waitlist

[tofuuu]

I'm surprised there hasn't been such a thread in the past, but I was wondering whether anyone has experiences with breaking a lease after getting off the wait list at a specific school. If so, please share.

I'm trying to figure out whether I should just sign a lease for my current acceptance and worry about how to break it later OR should I hold off signing a lease and risk being left with bad housing options?

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[CaliforniaDreamer]

That's a tough one. Are the housing options really that much worse if you wait?

 

[tofuuu]

That's a tough one. Are the housing options really that much worse if you wait?

I asked current students and was told that all the good places get taken by late-June.

The very last acceptance can technically be sent out the day before orientation. So the wait can end up being a really long one...I hope that won't be the case though.

 

[MLaura]

Hmm ask your landlord if you can sublet your apartment?

 

[Psai]

I'd wait

 

[italiancowgirl]

Some apartments have month to month options, you can offer a month to month just until the end of the summer and see if they bite. Subletting is sometimes also do-able. I wouldn't get stuck with a lousy housing option if I could help it, but I sure wouldn't want to deal with breaking a lease option because I didn't set up a clause or out. I signed a lease stating that if I graduated and left early they wouldn't penalize me. The apartment tried to stick me with a big bill because they had signed without checking it (even though I had told them) but couldn't do anything more because I had signed it clearly with that stipulation. Don't take the standard response because there is ALWAYS wiggle room! GL!

 

[vellez]

This exact thing almost happened to me. I was literally hours away from signing a lease when I got into my top pick.

 

[Promethean]

Breaking leases didn't used to be such a thing. Maybe it was just the locales where I lived, but people were forever flaking out on their lease, and landlords were like, oh, well, that's how it goes...

In general, if you sign a contract, you should be planning to fulfill it. If you know that there is a chance you are going to need to change your plans, try to be upfront with people about that. Maybe you can arrange to rent month-to-month, or maybe there will be a simple way to gracefully exit the lease should you need to do so. Most landlords aren't actually going to pursue you, even if you do bail... though you will probably lose at least your deposit. But if you do find the one willing to pursue you in court, and if you happen to live in a place where the laws favor landlords over tenants, it could be a costly gamble.

 

[Promethean]

I asked current students and was told that all the good places get taken by late-June.

The very last acceptance can technically be sent out the day before orientation. So the wait can end up being a really long one...I hope that won't be the case though.

But by September, at the latest, someone has cleared out of a "good place" somewhere near you. There is a rush into apartments at the beginning of a school year, but there is always some churn once things get going. If you can't get a good place, could you settle for a few weeks in an extended stay/weekly hotel or in a month to month rental at a not great place?

I'm renting an itty bitty efficiency for at least the first couple of months, based on the plan that once I know the area a little better, and once the initial rush of students has passed, I can look for a place geared more to locals. I find those places tend to be nicer and yet cheaper than rentals pitched at students. Landlords who want to avoid renting to students have leases that come available in September/October/November and Feb/March/April. Even if the market in Erie doesn't work that way (though it has in every college town I've ever lived in,) I still think my chances of find a place I would want to live are better if I do my shopping from there, rather than from 2 hours away.

 

[vellez]

Oh, another thing...being a medical student, you have a lot of leverage. Landlords, at least in my experience, LOVE renting to medical students.

 

[DokterMom]

It's June -- the odds are (sorry) pretty small. I'd do as @italiancowgirl suggests and sign the lease, but add a clause about "If you are admitted to XX medical school" by your signature. In that clause, do be prepared to forfeit a month's rent because your complex will be 'out of pocket' for a month or so looking for a new tenant.

 

[tofuuu]

It's June -- the odds are (sorry) pretty small. I'd do as @italiancowgirl suggests and sign the lease, but add a clause about "If you are admitted to XX medical school" by your signature. In that clause, do be prepared to forfeit a month's rent because your complex will be 'out of pocket' for a month or so looking for a new tenant.

I don't see why any landlord would agree to this though. I tried being upfront with the first few places I found and was immediately rejected.

I agree with you. I think the odds of getting off the wait list at this point is very small. That's why i'm leaning towards signing a lease now and worry about breaking it later.
If I do end up breaking the lease, I wouldn't mind losing my security deposit or paying a termination fee. And of course, I would attempt to find another medical student to replace me.

 

[tofuuu]

But by September, at the latest, someone has cleared out of a "good place" somewhere near you. There is a rush into apartments at the beginning of a school year, but there is always some churn once things get going. If you can't get a good place, could you settle for a few weeks in an extended stay/weekly hotel or in a month to month rental at a not great place?

I'm renting an itty bitty efficiency for at least the first couple of months, based on the plan that once I know the area a little better, and once the initial rush of students has passed, I can look for a place geared more to locals. I find those places tend to be nicer and yet cheaper than rentals pitched at students. Landlords who want to avoid renting to students have leases that come available in September/October/November and Feb/March/April. Even if the market in Erie doesn't work that way (though it has in every college town I've ever lived in,) I still think my chances of find a place I would want to live are better if I do my shopping from there, rather than from 2 hours away.

Orientation is actually at the very end of July for me..

I don't think I can afford to stay at a hotel for a while nor would I want to worry about housing once schools starts. The medical school isn't located in a college town and is actually in a not so safe area, so I wouldn't want to end up with bad housing options for safety reasons.

 

[Promethean]

School actually starts at the very end of July for me....

I don't think I can afford to stay at a hotel for a while. The school isn't located in a college town. Most students rent houses. It's fairly difficult to find a place for one and was told that these places get taken really fast. Which seems to be true based on my housing search thus far. If I wait till school starts, all my classmates will have already found roommates and all of the single places will most likely be taken since there's so few of them. That leaves me with really bad housing options. The medical school is located in a not so safe area so I wouldn't want to live too far.

At the moment, i'm only looking at a place for one because i'd feel bad bailing on roommates.

I'm fortunate that there are extended stay hotels with weekly rates between $150-$200 in the area where I will be living. They might not have all the amenities of a nice hotel, but all utilities are included in the price, even wireless internet, and maid service. $600-$800/month for rent and all utilities isn't terrible in a place like Erie, where harsh winter weather can break your budget if you have to pay for heat yourself. With that in mind, I had half a mind to stay at a weekly rental place year round.

Just saying, you might have more options that you realize. Local people have to live someplace. A little creativity can make opportunities present themselves.

If I were single, and didn't have to think about accommodations for a couple, I would try to live for free or very cheap by offering my services as a companion / home health aide / au pair. I'd place an ad looking for a room with someone who works third shift and needs someone to be home with their kids or elderly family member overnight. Since I am a licensed RN, I could probably even arrange to get paid a little for looking after someone in their own home, in addition to having a place to stay. Even without that credential, I'm sure that some older person with an empty nest out there would take a couple hundred of extra income along with the benefit of having a nice young man around the house to do chores on weekends.

Anyhow, I've found my solution, so I might as well share my best alternative ideas, in case anyone else needs them. Good luck finding the right place... and on getting to the school you most want to attend!

 

[DokterMom]

One other thing - I know you have a tantalizing possibility (last minute wait list) hanging out there, but try to put it out of your mind and focus on the very real and very exciting prospect that's directly in front of you. You're going to medical school! Love the one you're with --

 

[tofuuu]

I'm fortunate that there are extended stay hotels with weekly rates between $150-$200 in the area where I will be living. They might not have all the amenities of a nice hotel, but all utilities are included in the price, even wireless internet, and maid service. $600-$800/month for rent and all utilities isn't terrible in a place like Erie, where harsh winter weather can break your budget if you have to pay for heat yourself. With that in mind, I had half a mind to stay at a weekly rental place year round.

Just saying, you might have more options that you realize. Local people have to live someplace. A little creativity can make opportunities present themselves.

If I were single, and didn't have to think about accommodations for a couple, I would try to live for free or very cheap by offering my services as a companion / home health aide / au pair. I'd place an ad looking for a room with someone who works third shift and needs someone to be home with their kids or elderly family member overnight. Since I am a licensed RN, I could probably even arrange to get paid a little for looking after someone in their own home, in addition to having a place to stay. Even without that credential, I'm sure that some older person with an empty nest out there would take a couple hundred of extra income along with the benefit of having a nice young man around the house to do chores on weekends.

Anyhow, I've found my solution, so I might as well share my best alternative ideas, in case anyone else needs them. Good luck finding the right place... and on getting to the school you most want to attend!

I'm glad things worked out for you!

 

[tofuuu]

One other thing - I know you have a tantalizing possibility (last minute wait list) hanging out there, but try to put it out of your mind and focus on the very real and very exciting prospect that's directly in front of you. You're going to medical school! Love the one you're with --

Sigh, you're right. In fact, the school I got into is an amazing school. Like you said, the chances of getting off the wait list at this point of the cycle is pretty small. Maybe it's not worth it to worry about "what ifs".

 

[butternutsquash]

That's why i'm leaning towards signing a lease now and worry about breaking it later.
If I do end up breaking the lease, I wouldn't mind losing my security deposit or paying a termination fee. And of course, I would attempt to find another medical student to replace me.

I concur with going to the school where you're already accepted. Also, if I am not mistaken, if you break a lease in a state where the laws generally protect the interests of landlords, you could potentially be on the hook for rent until a replacement tenant is found. That could be even more stressful

 

[tofuuu]

I concur with going to the school where you're already accepted. Also, if I am not mistaken, if you break a lease in a state where the laws generally protect the interests of landlords, you could potentially be on the hook for rent until a replacement tenant is found. That could be even more stressful

Of course I wasn't going to completely bail on my landlord. I would pay for the rent until a replacement is found.
But I was thinking...if i'm leaving school X to attend school Y, school X would most likely find someone to take my spot in the class. So there would at least be one newly admitted student looking for housing.

I was just wondering whether I should wait a bit longer considering the consequences of breaking a lease OR whether it's not worth waiting considering that the chances of getting off the wait list is small at this point of the cycle.

 

[PuroCuauchi26]

what ended up happening?

 

[gyngyn]

He hasn't been heard from in two years.
A new thread is perfectly ok.