Hi, I recently signed a one year lease for an apt and the day before I took possession of the apt I was laid off. Now th landlord wants to keep my deposit and possible make me pay for the entire year of the lease. Can they do that? Oh! I live in NJ

Yes they can, you signed a contract and you are responsible for the lease. However, they can't double dip. If they can rent the place and they MUST make a good faith effort to do so, they can only hold you responsible up to when they get a new tenant.

If the lease allows you to sublket, you might try to get a new tenant yourself.

But since you backed out one day prior to move in, they need time to find a replacement. If you don't pay the rent, they can withhold the deposit to cover the unpaid rent then sue you for any additional months the unit is empty.