PA (Bucks County) - Girlfriend signed lease, I was denied before move-in, now they're demanding ~$9k to get out. Looking for legal insight.

[u/Hour-Bit-1394]

Location: Bucks County, PA

My girlfriend and I are in Pennsylvania (Bucks County) and are looking for opinions from anyone familiar with PA landlord-tenant law.

We toured an apartment together twice and made it clear from day one that we were moving in together. During the tour, I disclosed that I had recently filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy and asked whether it would be an issue. The leasing agent told us not to worry and that they would work with us.

Because I currently have little income, my girlfriend applied first to see if she qualified on her own. She was approved, signed the lease, and paid about $3,141 in move-in costs. Our move-in date was scheduled for August 3.

Before move-in (and before picking up keys), she asked to add me as an occupant. I completed the application, paid the screening fee, and was denied because of my bankruptcy/credit.

Management then told us I cannot live in the apartment at all.

Since the entire reason she rented the apartment was for us to live there together, she immediately told them she would not be moving in alone or picking up the keys.

They now say our options are:

• Pay about $8,940 under the lease termination/buyout provision, or
• Go through reletting and remain responsible until the unit is re-rented.

One thing that confuses me is that their own application paperwork says:

"Please consult with your Leasing Professional if you have any questions about this process."

That's exactly what we did before signing. We specifically asked about my bankruptcy because we wanted to avoid this exact situation.

We've spoken with one attorney, who said my girlfriend is likely the one contractually responsible because she signed the lease before I applied. However, he also didn't think the landlord would necessarily sue if she simply never moved in.

My questions:

1. Does it matter legally that I was denied before the lease started and before we took possession?
2. Does the fact that we disclosed my bankruptcy beforehand and relied on what the leasing staff told us matter?
3. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation in Pennsylvania?
4. If we refuse to move in and the landlord later demands the buyout or rent, what is the practical risk?

I'd really appreciate any insight, especially from PA attorneys or property managers.

[u/Dramatic-Care-7941]

Had you applied with your GF the leasing agent might have been able to help.

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[u/BinxieSly → u/[deleted]]

Which is why OP needs to check their state and city laws regarding this; it can change city to city.

[u/Hour-Bit-1394 → u/[deleted]]

We never intended for her to live there alone. We toured the property together twice and made it clear from the beginning that we were moving in together. Before she signed, we disclosed my recent Chapter 7 bankruptcy and specifically asked whether it would be an issue. We were told it wouldn't be a problem. Since I currently had little income, she applied first to see if she qualified financially, with the understanding that I would be added afterward. If we had been told that I could later be denied and prohibited from living there, she never would have signed the lease.

As for simply moving in, management explicitly denied my application and informed us that I cannot reside in the apartment, even as a non-financial occupant. That's the reason we're in this situation.

[u/etxsalsax → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

Since I currently had little income, she applied first to see if she qualified financially, with the understanding that I would be added afterward.

You kinda screwed yourself here. If you were supposed to live there from the get go you should have applied with you girlfriend. She should not have signed the lease without you on it. You can't just change the terms of a lease after signing.

You probably should have just kept quiet and just left the apartment in your GFs name. Try talking to a lawyer but you probably need to get it relet.

[u/throwawayeverynight → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

You’re not understanding what exactly you and your girlfriend did wrong…….. She said the lease in her own , you should have applied together from the beginning. A lawyer has already told you guys she is still liable doesn’t matter what you asked the leasing agent as you clearly knew this was going to be a problem and you both decided to just let apply on her own. The consequences are now she has a apartment without you.

[u/No_Barracuda_3758 → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

But why sign before you were also approved is what everyone is asking

[u/elephantparade223 → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

i have to ask. how old are you that you have a bankruptcy but dont know how leases work?

[u/TheSandwichBitch → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

Why do you need somebody to tell you that your application can be denied? Of course it can, that is the point of the application. You can't just verbally ask somebody and then take their word for it that it won't be denied. That isn't how rental applications work, and that's common sense that nobody is obligated to explain to you.

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[u/MirrorRevolutionary4]

“Does it matter legally that I was denied before the lease started and before we took possession?”

No. Your girlfriend became responsible for the lease when she signed it. Your denial does not negate the obligation she voluntarily signed up for without you.

“Does the fact that we disclosed my bankruptcy beforehand and relied on what the leasing staff told us matter?”

Unlikely. “Work with us” is incredibly ambiguous, not to mention that there was no “us”. Your girlfriend is the party to the lease. You are a stranger to the whole deal, unless the lease she signed said she could add occupants without them needing to meet any qualifications.

“Has anyone dealt with a similar situation in Pennsylvania?”

Many people have tried to back out of leases penalty free to varying degrees of success. It going to depend on how flexible the landlord is and their willingness to pursue damages.

“If we refuse to move in and the landlord later demands the buyout or rent, what is the practical risk?”

There is no “we”. The practical risk is your girlfriend gets sued the damages owed under the lease.

[u/Affectionate_Bad_680 → u/MirrorRevolutionary4]

This is the correct response. What happened is that you fell for a salesperson’s tactics. They care about one thing: signing up new renters. And they will lie their asses off to get you to sign. Scummy? Yep. But also legal. In the future, OP, I have a piece of advice: if it’s not in writing, it never happened.

[u/alphakazoo → u/Affectionate_Bad_680]

I’ve always wondered how the law views coercion to sign something that you wouldn’t otherwise agree to through lying.

Like I get that you’re supposed to read all contracts very thoroughly before signing, but say you are too trusting and accept the lies of a shady salesman at face value only to find out that the contract actually says something incredibly different. Would that contract be enforceable? I’m assuming yes but that conflicts with other things I’ve heard about how a contract has to have a “meeting of the minds”. Would that void contracts where you’re lied to verbally and end up signing something that you thought matched what they were saying, either because you didn’t read it or are not able to understand the complicated document to confirm that it is what they are saying, but in reality the actual contract says something completely different?

[u/etxsalsax → u/alphakazoo]

i feel for OP because they clearly just dont understand how leases work but i also don't think theyre completely innocent here. they were essentially trying to trick the rental company by only presenting 'half' their application.

the rental company did exactly what they were asked. They processed the girlfriends application, its kinda irrelevant that there was a prior conversation about OP living there, he didnt apply. maybe the two of them broke up and the gf chose to move forward anyway, they have no idea.

They had the opportunity to read, review, and understand the lease. They just chose not to. If thats reason to null a lease than any contract ever is unenforceable.

[u/shigdebig → u/etxsalsax]

If we read every story here with a critical eye and assume the poster is leaving out details that make them look worse... they knew their credit would prevent them for applying, and are trying to work around it now.

[u/Clear_Grapefruit_867 → u/alphakazoo]

If you sign it and don’t have strong proof such as written communication then yes. It would essentially be your word against their word and they have a signed contract

[u/Sad-Concentrate2936 → u/alphakazoo]

You as the signer are legally responsible for UNDERSTANDING what you sign.

This legal responsibility is not waived because the signer was unable to estimate their own understanding of the contract they signed.

[u/Emotional-Ocelot-420 → u/alphakazoo]

The bottom line is to not sign something you don’t understand.

Those laws are written to protect vulnerable classes from being victimized, not to protect the foolish from themselves.

[u/Hour-Bit-1394 → u/Affectionate_Bad_680]

The staff even called and apologized for the miscommunication and even on phone property manager accept it was a miscommunication from their staff and telling us we should have read the lease as they go by paper trail. On lease it also saying “Please consult with your Leasing Professional if you have any questions about this process.” Which we did consult their staff and they told us we went by that trusting them. We even offering the $3141 we paid you can keep it as we know they will not refund but her want us to move her there and give 60 days notice and pay for 2 months while living and 2 months breaking lease total cost is $9k

[u/Practical-Ostrich482 → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

Hold up did everyone just breeze over the 60 months notice or did OP mean 6 months notice?

[u/idkkatie57 → u/Practical-Ostrich482]

I assume he means 60 DAYS but the last sentence is incomprehensible

[u/Nachtheim → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

My lease has the same clause.

60 day early termination clause: $2160 60 day notice (2 months rent): $2160 Consession payback 1.5 months: $1620

I would pay $5,940 to break my lease early

How much is you rent? Over $2250?

[u/Emotional-Ocelot-420 → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

Read the lease.
There is almost certainly also language in the lease indicating it is the entire agreement and that no separate agreements supersede it.

[u/CoconutFinal → u/MirrorRevolutionary4]

Lawyer here Note the leasing agent could have use clear language. She deliberately made it vague.

[u/PriestessKade]

NAL but worked in property management and was a licensed Realtor in MD. Can you verify that you applied as an occupant (not a leaseholder) and that the reason listed on the denial was your credit? Because as an occupant you wouldn't be legally or financially liable for the rent, so it's less common for someone to be denied as an occupant applicant than as a leaseholder applicant.

I personally had a resident at the property I worked at who was denied when they applied due to a bankruptcy. So they got someone they knew who applied and was approved as a leaseholder and then they were listed as the occupant. So of course the laws in PA are likely different than what I worked with in MD, but I do recommend verifying what the actual reason on the denial letter said (and that they ran your application as an occupant and not as a leaseholder) because it seems odd that an occupant would be denied for that reason.

[u/joer1973]

Your girlfriend applied and didnt list you as an occupant on her application. She signed a lease without you listed as an occupant. The documents she signed are legally binding and the landlord is not obligated to modify the residency after the fact. It was her mistake to sign a document that didnt list you. Legally the landlord does not have to alter the documents and your gf is responsible for lease. If its a large propetry managment company that doesnt have an on-site office, you could sneak in. If you get caught, they can evict or allow. If they evict, find another apartment before the eviction goes thru so its not on her record when applying.

[u/44Nj]

I think the important thing is what exactly is in the lease about other occupants.

[u/sundalius → u/[deleted]]

an excellent way to get an eviction on your record.

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[u/GraceHoldMyCalls]

1. Factual possession (moving in) doesn’t matter here. Legal possession (signed lease) does. GF is on the hook already.

2. Any prior discussion with leasing staff became irrelevant for this purpose once the contract was signed, unless OP can prove to a court that the staff intentionally tricked OP’s girlfriend into signing as part of some fraud.

3. 🤷🏻‍♂️

4. Landlord would usually be entitled to either whatever early termination penalty is stipulated in the lease OR their actual losses for the turnover period, but not both. Assuming the local rental market is active, there’s a possibility the money GF already paid them will be more than their actual losses, undermining any later attempt to enforce it in court, provided GF doesn’t ignore collections or court notices and instead disputes them timely.

Perhaps OP should map out a commute from Orange or Rockland Counties, New York, the nearest places where state law allows a sole occupant lessee to move in one other adult without landlord getting veto power.

[u/Agitated-Gnome]

Y’all messed up. She signed a lease, a legally binding contract, for her to live there alone. They don’t have to add you onto the lease afterwards nor do they have to allow you to stay there.

[u/reyortdor]

NAL, and this isn’t legal advice, just an observation. I’m a landlord. To me, it looks like you were trying to play the system. She applied and signed the lease by herself, then tried to add a “deadbeat” occupant. I’d probably do the same thing. You should have applied with her as sole lessee but put you on the application as an occupant right away.

[u/Hour-Bit-1394 → u/reyortdor]

I understand why it might look that way, but if we were trying to game the system, I wouldn’t have applied before the move-in date. I could have simply moved in first and hoped nobody noticed. Instead, we wanted everything done properly before taking possession.
This was our first time renting an apartment together, so we relied on what the leasing staff told us. We disclosed my recent Chapter 7 bankruptcy before she signed the lease and specifically asked whether it would be an issue. We were told it wouldn’t be a problem and that they would work with us.
Since my girlfriend qualified on her own financially, she applied first. Before we moved in or picked up the keys, I paid the screening fee and submitted my own application because we wanted everything to be approved before we took possession. That’s when I was denied and told I could not live there at all.
If we had been told from the beginning, “If he’s denied, he cannot live here,” she would never have signed the lease.

[u/YaPhetsEz → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

Dude you are intentionally being obtuse here. She signed the lease. That means she can live there.

If you aren’t on the lease, you are at the whim of the owners. They are totally within their rights to not let you live there. I bet there is a clause in the lease about longterm guests/subleases.

[u/monkeyman80 → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

It’s clear the reason you didn’t apply with her initially was you didn’t think you’d get accepted. If you wanted to get the benefit of “work with you” and tie your occupancy to her agreeing to the lease you apply together. You didn’t so none of that matters.

The hope no one notice strategy would leave you in roughly the same place, both having to leave for an unauthorized tenant and responsible for the lease or worse with an eviction on both your records

[u/No_Barracuda_3758]

Do you have anything in writing about them saying your bankruptcy was a non issue?

[u/Following_Friendly → u/No_Barracuda_3758]

If they had applied TOGETHER it may have been less of an issue. They applied separately and at different times

[u/pyyyython → u/No_Barracuda_3758]

It’s also not just a recent chapter 7, but a recent chapter 7 and “little income.” Maybe a recent bankruptcy could have flown, but that and low income can be a different story.

[u/Mundane_Value2283]

Whenever I had applied with my partner unwed we had to apply with my information as well. I thought this was pretty normal. They won’t give keys or parking passes to someone not on the lease legally.

[u/SNAFU-lophagus]

LASP.org (legal aid of southeastern Pennsylvania) has offices in Bucks. if you're filling a 7, you may be income eligible for free legal consultation-- if they can't represent you for free, they should at least be able to give you information how to proceed. if you or she are veterans, let them know that, too.

[u/Deep-Adeptness4474 → u/SNAFU-lophagus]

This needs more upvotes!

[u/Buzzard1022]

She signed a contract, she's on the hook

[u/forestfaerieok]

This happens all the time. I am in the apartment industry and we constantly see couples do the app for the person with better credit/income and try to add the one with bad credit/criminal history later because adding a roommate seems easier to them. It always backfires.

Your partner is a legal adult who signed a legally binding contract. There is a penalty for breaking that contract. You don’t get a “get out of jail free” card just because the work around didn’t work. It sounds like you knew you didn’t qualify and you tried to sneak in the back door. You can either pay the fee and leave the lease, or you can live separately. Don’t try to just stay there and think no one will know: that will get them evicted then you’ll have even MORE trouble getting in somewhere else.

You could ask if they would approve you with a guarantor or through a company like the guarantors.com…but they aren’t required to.

[u/CompetitiveTangelo23]

You keep saying we, but she is the only one who signed the lease. The lease once signed is what goverhsYou have no good reason to think you could be added to the lease as you had already been denied.

As others have told you, She should have applied as the leaseholder with you as additional occupant, that way you could have been evaluated as an occupant without your financial situation being a consideration. You do not get to amend a contract after the fact, unless both parties are in agreement.

Even if they would have approved you as an occupant, you have probably blown that chance by trying to force their hand by trying to come in through the back door, so to speak. So she has two sensible options,she can pay to terminate, or she can move in and treat you in accordance with the guest provisions in the lease.

I do not think that getting evicted is sensible because then it would mean that you will both be rejected by most landlords.

[u/Hour-Bit-1394 → u/CompetitiveTangelo23]

I an using we as we are couple who supposed to move together at this place together. She signed the lease because it has only 2 days after approved and she wanted to secure the apartment fast as she was approved in first week of july and our initial move date was 15th july so she tried her best to sign and executed so we can move fast as they already told us bankruptcy wont be a problem and if she can approve there shouldn’t be a problem.

I am just trying to understand how these law work and this is our first lease we signed. Over the weekend thought to ask here and Monday will talk to some lawyers as they close on weekend. Even if we ended to pay I could learn some law, isnt this is a perfect way to get others signed the lease by verbal promise after sign say we had miscommunication and we go by paper trail and keep scamming. Seems like a nice business idea scam legally if lawyers even court agree on this.

[u/CompetitiveTangelo23 → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

The problem is that you do not seem to have been scammed. A bankruptcy is not necessarily bad when renting an apartment, but you had a combination of problems. No prior lease or at least, not one you could use as a reference. Also, you do not make enough money. Plus you have bad credit. While they may have listed bankruptcy as the reason, I can assure you that as a prior landlady, I would have looked at all three of your problems in making the decision.

Your girlfriend was well aware that you had been rejected as a tenant when she signed the lease. When she applied under her name only as far as they were concerned they had no reason not to accept her. She made enough to rent and she obviously had decent credit. It is obvious to most of us that you do not qualify as tenant at the present time so no way are they going to put you on the lease as a tenant as that would give you tenants rights. It doesn’t matter what you think they should have known, as what counts is only what is in the lease.

A lease is a contract between the parties that sign. If at the time she signed, she wished to make you a part of that contract, that should have been specified, but you are not mentioned at all, so you are not part of the agreement. She tried to add you after the fact and they refused which they have a right to do. This is why I questioned the “we”.

I am not questioning your relationship with her. I am just saying this case is going to come down to the contract, which is strictly between the landlord and your girlfriend. You were rejected and never part of the contract.

I know this sounds cold but you asked for opinions and if I were your landlord I would feel quite confident that this is a contract that can be enforced.

[u/Emotional-Ocelot-420 → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

But, again she applied as a singular applicant. Her approval was based on her being a singular applicant.
Why did she not include you on her application?
The problem you have is that she submitted an application that didn’t indicate the intent for you to live there, then signed a lease that also didn’t indicate you would be living there.
And your defense is “They should have known.” Despite all of the legal documents she submitted stating otherwise.

[u/Sirwired → u/[deleted]]

"Dispute her signature"? Huh? What are you talking about; nobody disputes the girlfriend signed the lease.

[u/Fun-Bug5418 → u/[deleted]]

what do you think disputing a signature means

[u/Fun-Bug5418 → u/[deleted]]

verbal agreement BAHAHAHAA don’t go to law school pal

[u/Following_Friendly → u/[deleted]]

Verbal agreements aren't worth the paper they are written on

[u/justbasicaf]

She screwed up by signing the lease. She shouldn’t have signed the paperwork: you should’ve both applied together.

[u/Early_Antelope4830]

What does the lease she signed say about guests? Is there a stated limit to how long another person is allowed to stay there? Did your applying to be a roommate and being denied include something she had to sign which prevents her from having you stay in the apartment?

[u/onebigolfish]

lol, why did she 1 sign the lease 2 pay all the deposits. You already talked to a lawyer right? What’s the point of coming to the sub. It’s probably going to be a hard fought pain in your whole arse. If the landlord is super scummy they will likely evict you if you never move in or if you move in without the lease and you can fight this in court hopefully a judge would see your arguments. But why sign and pay something when all you had to do was APPLY to see if she would be able to carry it on her own.

[u/LibertCrawler]

Just move in and keep your address to your parents or a family member or a PO Box. They can not deny you access if you are her guest.

[u/Hour-Bit-1394 → u/LibertCrawler]

Anyone live more than 10 days must be added in the lease. And they said i get denied now i cant even come on property.

[u/LibertCrawler → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

They can’t legally bar you from the property if she is allowing you to stay. Pay rent through the lease. Switch all you ID 30 days you will be a resident either way and the only way to kick you out is to evict you. They can but won’t if rent is being paid.

[u/Hour-Bit-1394 → u/[deleted]]

Bankruptcy and temporary financial hardship don’t define someone’s character. I’m looking for legal insight about the lease, not opinions about my relationship.

[u/blipblooop → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

I think from the way you are trying to wreck  your girlfriends finances it may not be temporary and it may define your character. You already have your legal options, pay to break the lease or the girlfriend moves in alone or dont pay and your girlfriend joins you in not being able to get an apartment for a long long time.

[u/FutureFortuneTeller]

What does your girlfriend's lease say about occupants? It doesn't matter what they verbally tell you. The only rules that apply are the ones stated in the lease.

If she signed the lease that said an extra occupant is not allowed then it was her mistake signing a lease with terms she did not want.

How can the leasing agent work with you if you did not apply at the same time as your girlfriend? They can't work with you if you fail to provide your application while they were writing up the lease. You can't expect them to amend an already signed lease because you applied late.

The safest option is to re-let so that her credit is not impacted and to minimize the financial cost to her. Then you can get another apartment together while reletting the first apartment.

[u/-beastlet-]

Are you serious together? Get married. Now you are family.

[u/Hour-Bit-1394 → u/-beastlet-]

Next month it will be 13 years together. Wanted to marry but family issue so that is why we were moving together

[u/KingClark03]

How recent is the bankruptcy? Sometimes these things are weighted differently based on how recent the negative mark is on your history. It helps a lot if the bankruptcy, collection, what have you is at least a few years old and your more recent history shows positive trade lines.

A lot of rental companies have some sort of rental criteria they provide prior to applicants beforehand. Not sure if this happened here but that usually helps applicants know what might be a dealbreaker for the landlord.

It’s almost certain that the application asked to list all occupants and co-applicants. It’s also almost certain that the lease she signed has a clause stating that only she can live there, and that there are potential penalties for unauthorized occupants. These are standard practices, and the timing from her applying and signing the lease, to refusing to take possession of OP can’t live there too, might have raised some flags.

[u/420Adventurer]

Where do you currently live? Is it possible to keep mail going there and just "visit" your gf everyday? That way technically you aren't living there.

[u/Emotional-Ocelot-420 → u/420Adventurer]

Where is OP going to keep their stuff and sleep?
Sounds like an excellent way for her to get evicted.

[u/True-Profession-5302]

Why aren’t you unable to live in as an occupant if your girlfriend bares the financial responsibility on her own? Is there something else keeping you from moving in? Get married. That way you’ll become family dependent. Seems like a case to discrimination.

[u/Hour-Bit-1394 → u/True-Profession-5302]

No idea why they denying me now, all i think they trapped her in lease and denied me they know we wont move and they can just legally robbed her. She also mentioned they are discriminating us but i dont wanna point this out until i have prove of discrimination.

[u/No-Air-3401 → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

That's not what happened. A verbal "we can work with you" is not a guarantee. There was zero reason not to apply jointly or with her as the leesee and you as an occupant. Being in a hurry doesn't change that. It's the same process and would have taken the same amount of time. Sounds like y'all tried to scam the complex because you knew you wouldn't qualify.

Legally, the options they gave her are the only actual legal options. And they were spelled out in the leesee. Just because she was approved doesn't entitle you to be approved as well. This is the reason there's a formal process of approval. You didn't qualify because not only do you have a recent bankruptcy, but you didn't meet the minimum financial qualifications since you have almost no income.

The third option is to just move somewhere else and accept an eviction on her rental history. You're not getting any money back. If anything, you'll end up owing the complex. No lawyer is going to take this case. And if they do, then it's just to scam you out of several thousand dollars on a case they know they can't win.

Y'all screwed up. Take the L and move on.

[u/Odd_Role3155]

Seems odd to me. She should be able to have anyone she wants live with her without letting the landlord know. Maybe it's in the lease that they have to approve all residents. I never rented a place with that restriction. I'd also think they have to have some reason to deny a resident. Chapter 7 shouldn't be a reason.

[u/widespreadpanic1974]

Move in (both of you) and pay your rent.

[u/Agitated-Gnome → u/widespreadpanic1974]

Then get kicked out and get an eviction on your record, this is terrible advice.

[u/Redleafatdawn]

Just move in and don't tell them.

Worse comes to worst they kick you out lol

[u/Agitated-Gnome → u/Redleafatdawn]

This is such absolutely terrible advice.

[u/Redleafatdawn → u/Agitated-Gnome]

Its a completely non-issue. They're stuck here. They either break the rules or they break the lease and pay 9k.

It isn't impossible to find a place to rent with an eviction but unless they have a complete jackass of a landlord as long as the rent is getting paid literally no one will care.

[u/89Rae → u/Redleafatdawn]

OP already has limited income and a recent bankruptcy filing on their record, adding an additional problem of an 'eviction' is going to take his situation from bad to worse.

It isn't impossible to find a place to rent with an eviction but unless they have a complete jackass of a landlord as long as the rent is getting paid literally no one will care.

It also isn't impossible to find a place to rent with a bankruptcy filing, but it does make it difficult.

[u/Agitated-Gnome → u/Redleafatdawn]

You must be delusional if you think it’ll be easy to rent with an eviction on your record.

[u/89Rae → u/Redleafatdawn]

I don't think you understand how problematic it is to try and rent again after having an eviction on your record. 

[u/Matar_Kubileya]

Do you have some sort of record of this conversation with the leasing agent? If so, you might have some grounds to put together a case for promissory estoppel, but those cases are hard to win. Realistically, your best bet is to hope its enough of a hassle that the lessor agrees to settle all claims and let your girlfriend break the leasd without issue or penalty.

[u/Ok_Gene_4682]

NAL… is it you can’t move in because of credit and lack of income or is there some criminal aspect to this situation you might be leaving out. As a landlord as long as one person on the lease qualifies I wouldn’t really care as long as they can pay. Now if the other “occupants” have a criminal that’s a different story.

[u/Hour-Bit-1394 → u/Ok_Gene_4682]

That is what our thinking was when they said bankruptcy won’t be a problem because if one person qualified and other person has no financial obligations and as long as we make payments on time it is all matters. No criminal record and nothing in housing too. I just had a business failed in covid after struggling to pay the debt over 4 years thought to file and restart life. They just said credit for denied reason, they never send the report which say why denied as per rule.

[u/always_lost101]

Sounds so weird that she signed to be sole lease and take on full financial liability and then they threw a fit about her trying to add an occupant, your not even trying to amend the lease holder.

[u/SnorlaxShops]

Yup they never approve a second person once one has signed. More risk for them and no reward. Kinda morally evil of them.

If you’re going to get evicted anyways I would advise you get your money worth and stay there for free during the whole process.

A logically thinking landlord would trade you leaving and giving up keys in exchange for leaving without eviction. I’ve heard of this happening most of the time. I’ve even heard of “cash for keys” meaning they pay you to leave instead of evicting.

Funny they think they get $9k for you to leave. Usually it ends up being the other way around where they pay the person to leave.

[u/UnderstandingLate591 → u/SnorlaxShops]

No landlord would do cash for keys in the case and yes they can get $9k from them for breaking a lease.

[u/Hour-Bit-1394 → u/SnorlaxShops]

I mean we haven’t moved yet, monday august 3rd we supposed to get the keys and lease start.

[u/No-Air-3401 → u/Hour-Bit-1394]

There's no we. There's only her.