I signed a rental lease, have not gotten the keys. Pd month deposit and month rent. Escape clause is I pay 2 months rent as penalty. Am I bound by lease if a never moved in? If I am bound by lease, can my 2 months penalty be the deposit and 1st month rent? I am in VA.

You are bound by the lease, I would expect that you will have to pay the two two months rent ( additional)

Thanks Chuck.

As soon as you signed the lease you were bound by it.

You need to talk to the landlord about whether they will accept what you paid and let you out.

Hello s:

I would write the landlord a certified letter INVOKING the escape clause. He may or may not agree with your reading of the lease, but he's going to have to DO something about it... If he's smart, what he'll DO, is try to re-rent it ASAP so he winds up ahead on your deal. If he sues, I think a judge would agree with you.

excon