Question:
I signed a contract for an apartment from Cheshvan 5781 until the end of Av 5781. The contract had a clause in that if I don’t notify the landlord 3 months before (Rosh Chodesh Sivan) in writing that I leaving, it is as if i signed the apartment for another year. However even in such a case, he still has the upper hand and can rent it out to another tenant if I haven’t confirmed explicitly that I want to renew the contract.
I mistakenly thought that the contract said, if I don’t notify the landlord 3 months before, its as if I am leaving the apartment.
I only found this out yesterday, so I gave him slightly less then 2 months notice instead of 3.
If he doesn’t find new tenants, am I chayav to pay for the whole next year?
Answer:
The first thing is to speak to him, he might not be a stickler on this point. Even if he will give you a hard time, you can find someone else to rent the apartment. It is hard to imagine that he will give you a hard time if you find him someone else to rent it from him.
Hatzlocha
