swapping name on lease

curry_person

Hi everyone,

Hope someone can help me on this one,
Basically im living in a apartment with one girl now for past 6 months we both want to leave are lease, are agency has told us we could just find someone to take our place in the lease. Find someone that wants to move in, get there references. The deposit is handled between us they pay us directly that and pay rent to agency they go to agency and they swap names on lease and they finish out ours. Is this normal? i'm just worried that agency would try catch us out or something. it just doesn't sit right with me!

Eldarion

curry_person wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Hope someone can help me on this one,
Basically im living in a apartment with one girl now for past 6 months we both want to leave are lease, are agency has told us we could just find someone to take our place in the lease. Find someone that wants to move in, get there references. The deposit is handled between us they pay us directly that and pay rent to agency they go to agency and they swap names on lease and they finish out ours. Is this normal? i'm just worried that agency would try catch us out or something. it just doesn't sit right with me!

Reassigning a lease is unfortunately legal and above board. I think you're underestimating the difficulty in advertising, meeting, vetting references etc. And on top of all that the agency/landlord still has to approve of the new proposed leaseholder.

There may also be stipulations put in place that will allow the agency to chase YOU, the original lease holders, for moneys owed should the new lease holder default on payments.

Mrs OBumble

I cannot see why it's unfortunate that it's legal: IMHO it's a very good thing because it provides a way for tenants to manage their affairs if a change in circumstances means they can longer live in the same place.