Arlington, VA asked in Contracts and Landlord - Tenant for Virginia

Q: Can a landlord deny a physical, signed lease in preference for an electronic one?

Submitted a physical lease prior to the expiration of my previous lease and was later informed that the property manager "did not accept paper leases" so I was charged several hundred more for the next month's rent because I had been transferred to a month-to-month "automatically, because I didn't sign the lease on time."

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1 Lawyer Answer
Ross Cameron Hart
Ross Cameron Hart
Answered
  • Salem, VA
  • Licensed in Virginia

A: That sounds like nonsense.

You may want a lawyer to help you. I would suggest a 'tenant assertion' to have the court declare that a lease exists and you are due refund/credit/lower rent payments on the lease. You would file the assertion in the General District Court for the jurisdiction in which your apartment is located. Make sure you sue the owner, not the rental agent.

But, again, consult a landlord-tenant or consumer lawyer

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