Q: Do I have to sign an amendment that alters lease term date; I have moved out but landlord is taking advantage of us.
I moved out 3 mos prior to term date, with advance notice to landlord and constant communication, hoping she would be able to re-rent the house. She finally found a renter who wants to move into the house 4 days prior to my lease end date. We will have paid 3 months rent for a house we do not live in, and we do not want to sign the lease amendment because we have allowed her unlimited access to the property and have accommodated all requests, however we receive zero benefit. She hired a realtor who did not list/market the property correctly (errors in MLS listing, did not publish it on the 'usual' realty sites, etc) and listed it above comp rental prices in the area. We have expressly told her that we want her to re-rent the unit, but after receiving no benefit, we do not want to accommodate her by signing the lease amendment - are we allowed to refuse and let the lease run to its original term date?
A: You are not required to agree to an amendment. If the current lease term has expired (or will soon), the lease will terminate on the expiration date listed on the lease. You clearly have given notice and presumably complied with the lease terms until termination. In other words, based on your facts you should be able to walk away from the lease (and receive some or all of your security deposit). I cannot imagine why it is in your benefit to sign an amendment unless the amendment offers you something you want. If you want to make sure, contact (and pay for) a lawyer to review (this should be a 2 hour charge at most) both the original lease and the amendment to see what the landlord is trying to do.
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