Travis Afb, CA asked in Civil Litigation for California

Q: I rent a room right now and I signed a 6 month rental agreement. I have been asked to move out earlier than 6 months

I have been living there for just over two months. I am active duty military and I just got back from a deployment. I was recently informed that they want me to move out so they can turn my room into an office space because they are no longer occupying the office space they are renting in another city due to COVID-19. They are not honoring my rental agreement. I live in California.

Related Topics:
1 Lawyer Answer
Maurice Mandel II
Maurice Mandel II
Answered
  • Newport Beach, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: Very sorry to hear that an active duty US military is being treated this way. Of course you have the absolute right to enforce your rental agreement and tell them you are not moving out until it is up. IMO you don't need to subject yourself to this stress. What I would do is negotiate with them for a return of at least half the rent (ask for 100% rent rebate and negotiate down to 50%, or you won't get it). Point out to them that they may be obligated to provide you with a month of relocation expenses if you lived there a year, anyway. If they get hard nosed with you, you can play hard ball right back. Tell them that they better "lawyer up" which they will quickly find that it probably will cost them more than the problem is worth. Also tell them that you believe they are discriminating against you in violation of your rights as an active duty member of the military under the United States Code, and you are going to get your own attorney to sue them for (Name the most outrageous figure you can think of). If all else fails, get yourself a Tenant's rights attorney to assist you. Contact the base legal office re: discrimination against you because of your active duty status, they may have a referral. Best of luck. Civilians can be a pain.

Justia disclaimers below, incorporated herein.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.