[dem11955]

I had a 6 month apartment lease in Indiana in 2005. The lease ended in November and they kept me on a month to month lease. I got a job transfer notice on February 1(paid the full month of February) and left on Feb 10. They rerented the apartment on March 3. I sent them $125.00 for the 3 days of March not rented. They are trying to collect a 2 month lease break penalty from me. Why and isn't that double rent?

[LisaB4657]

Yes, that is double rent. However they may be entitled to some of it. You have to carefully read what you've signed.

When a written lease ends and you continue to live there on a month to month basis, all of the conditions of the original lease remain in effect except for the term. If the original lease had a paragraph stating that you would provide 60 days notice before terminating your tenancy then that provision still applied when you became a month to month tenant.

If you signed a new agreement when your original lease ended then the new agreement is what controls this situation. Read that carefully as well to see if you agreed to any special notice provisions.

After you carefully read everything that you signed, then make a note of when you gave them notice that you would be terminating. If there were no paragraphs in the lease about termination notice, and if you gave them one full rental period of notice, then tell them where they can stick their lease break penalty.