Q: Does a rental lease expire or terminate upon the final walkthrough being completed and the landlord collecting the keys?
My old landlord did a final walkthrough and collected my keys on 11/30/23 and is now claiming I am still responsible for rent for December and January per an addendum in my lease. If they collected my keys and I no longer have access to the unit, and they listed it as available online shortly after, can they make me pay rent and utilities for the two months after? I gave them the required 30-day notice.
A:
Dear Pen Yan Tenant:
Likely, the turnover of the keys ended the lease obligations. Did your landlord return the tenant security deposit to you within fourteen days of the turnover of the keys? If not, and if the landlord did not provide you a written itemization of legal deductions in the same fourteen-day period, then your landlord owes you double the initial security deposit.
Tim Akpinar agrees with this answer
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