I have been searching and searching for a 3 bedroom place in/near Bar Harbor Maine for awhile now and most of the places I have spoken to say that they only want a one year lease. I want a 6 month lease since my job in Bar Harbor will only be seasonal just like every store/restaurant down there!

My question: Can I sign a one year lease, move out when the 6 months are over and not get charged for the other 6 months?:confused:

Cause I heard that Maine has a Law stating that, tenants can break a years lease but have to pay 2 months rent after we moved out and they keep the deposit. Is this true? Cause I will sign a years lease if it is... that's not bad.


Please help asap!! :)

Hello phil:

I don't think Main has a law that says someone can get out of a contract - just because. As a matter of fact, I'm sure they don't.

If you commit for a year, then your landlord can hold you to your word. If you break the lease, he at least, has to try to rent it as soon as possible to save you some money, but that's all he has to do.

excon

At the top of this forum is a sticky with links to state laws on tenant/landlord relations. I don't see anything in the Maine laws that allow a tenant to break a lease without violations on the landlord's part.

Sorry, no, this is of course why they what a year lease, becase of seasonal people coming there, If they do rent it out to someone else then you will not be held, but if there are more empty ones because of other seasonal people leaving, most likely you will have to look a little further out

Damn... I don't know what to do!! Ahhh... I wonder if I ask him if we could stay there from month to month till he finds someone that will sign a year lease... if he would be okay with that.

How could I sell him on that idea??

Phil, that's worth a try but it's spitting in the wind. When the season ends lots of places open up and who/where will the new renters come from? If you wanted to try to hang around for a few extra months you'd probably need a job so why not try to commit for the entire year? I think you're going to be there for the whole year anyway.

Thanks guys for your replies. I'm just going to keep searching. Unless this guy calls me back and agrees to 6 month lease. Thanks for clearing up that Maine rumor. I'm going back to school in th fall and Bar Harbor is an hour away so there is no way that I can be paying for two places to live... thats why I am staying down there for a short period.

Take it easy...