ADVICE - How can you get out of a lease and get your security deposit Back?

carlito11

New member
Feb 21, 2011
14
0
0
We are in the 2nd month of a 6 month lease and we are fed up.

A) took 3 weeks to get our gym membership which is included in our rent
B) we cannot sleep with our bedroom door open and have to put the AC on to drown out the noise/music/traffic
C) the landlord did not pay the electricity bill from the previous month before we occupied the apartment and the electricity was cut off for 13 hours

How can we GET OUT OF THE LEASE and get our security deposit back? Practical and honest advice is appreciated.

NO WISE REMARKS NECESSARY JUST HONEST ADVICE!

Muchas gracias.
 
Feb 7, 2007
8,005
625
113
It will be hard to get your security deposit back. depending on where you are, in SD and ST "MAYBE". In the interior, forget about it, security deposits are lived off (no rent for the last two months)...
 

jrjrth

Bronze
Mar 24, 2011
782
1
0
~It depends on your lease agreement, I had a tenant leave before the agreed upon 6 month term and I was entitled to keep the security deposit, however my place was not what you are dealing with, my client could not find work to sustain living in the RD and returned to the US....

~Good luck~
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
your experience is about the norm for the DR. You will not ever get back the security deposit if you break the lease, its gone. You are not in the US. Once money moves into the hands of a Dominican its gone. Refunds are unheard of here. Either learn to live with the situation or walk and lose the money.
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,470
3,604
113
Just stay one more month and don't pay the rent. He cannot legally throw you out. That takes a long time.

Tell him the check is in the mail, the Dominican Mail.
 

carlito11

New member
Feb 21, 2011
14
0
0
Thanks for the honest advice everyone. I guess we will have to stay two more months - cause they wanted two months for a 6 month lease! grrrr
 

pi2

Banned
Oct 12, 2011
961
0
0
Recognise the landlord may have probems also - its not easy being a landlord in the DR!
Don't try and negociate too quickly. Take it step by step over the problems you have .Try and make friends .... I assume the premises is in good location and most services work.
Consider your options of another place - it may cost more even if you lend the landlord
2000 pesos to help with electricity bill.
Find out about the reputation of the landlord - if he/she has a good reputation then trying
to find a work - around has a lot of merit.
Pay attention to security.

Legal processes are costly - best avoided - unlike in the US!

pi2
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
It's a good example of buyer beware. Even in the US, you would have a hard time breaking the lease over these complaints, especially over things like street noise or noisy neighbors for that matter. What may seem unlivable to you would be fine living for many in the DR. Cut your losses and move on. There are plenty of Ex-pat landlords who may be easier to deal with, but check for references with them as well.
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
83
We are in the 2nd month of a 6 month lease and we are fed up.

A) took 3 weeks to get our gym membership which is included in our rent
B) we cannot sleep with our bedroom door open and have to put the AC on to drown out the noise/music/traffic
C) the landlord did not pay the electricity bill from the previous month before we occupied the apartment and the electricity was cut off for 13 hours

How can we GET OUT OF THE LEASE and get our security deposit back? Practical and honest advice is appreciated.

NO WISE REMARKS NECESSARY JUST HONEST ADVICE!

Muchas gracias.

You should repost this in the Legal section, or the moderator should move it there. That is the only way to get a response from Fabio Guzman, an expert in real estate law. He only responds to questions in the Legal section.
 

bochinche

Bronze
Jun 19, 2003
747
10
0
if you can find someone who may be interested in taking on the lease/new lease...that may work with the co-operation of the landlord.

without the land-lord's co-operation:
if you can find someone who may be interested in sub-letting. usually not allowed, but if the land-lord doesn't live on your doorstep, it could be that in the remaining months he would never know.
of course, the land-lord may decide to sue if he does find out, but unlikely.