First, I am not an attorney so take this post only as direction absent counsel. Also There are links to attorneys and mediation links on the pages I linked. I am in CA and have had run ins with landlords in the past. I have always been able to hold my own just by reading up on the state landlord / tenant laws and using that information to my benefit. Here are some links and information that might help you out:
http://www.fcgov.com/neighborhoodser...lthandbook.pdf
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?...g/tenantrights
One thing that seems to be in your benefit and would mitigate the ability of your landlord to collect that astounding amount is found on page 14/15 :
Quote:
Rent Liability for Early Move-out
If a tenant moves out prior to the end of the lease, s/he is still responsible
for payment of rent until the premises are re-rented or the lease has
expired. The tenant may also be liable for the landlord’s reasonable costs of
re-renting. Lease contracts often specify who is responsible for re-renting the
premises. Landlords must make reasonable efforts to re-rent the
premises when a tenant moves out early. Without an agreement (in
writing preferably) between the parties, a landlord can sue a tenant for
eviction if a tenant moves out before the end of the lease term, due to the
fact the tenant broke the lease. The lease binds the tenant to a set amount
of time and a set amount of rent.
How can a landlord collect rent after a tenant has
vacated without permission?
The law imposes a duty on the landlord to mitigate or lessen losses when a
tenant vacates early, regardless of the reason. The landlord cannot simply do
nothing and expect to collect rent until the end of the lease period, unless
that is a short amount of time. Landlords oftentimes file lawsuits in Small
Claims Court to collect the debt from improperly vacated tenants. Landlords
can opt to turn the matter over to a collection agency, although these
companies do charge for their services (thereby reducing the amount the
landlord may ultimately collect). In these situations the collection agency will
seek a legal judgment against the tenants rather than the landlord doing it
him or herself. Collection agencies are designed to pursue all legal remedies
to collect a debt once a judgment has been entered, including tax liens and
wage garnishment. To avoid this sort of situation the tenant may want to
work with the landlord ahead of time, prior to move-out, to come up with
some sort of binding agreement that details what monies are owed and when
they will be paid. City of Fort Collins mediation services is an option for
people experiencing this sort of problem (for Fort Collins residents only).
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Hope this helps.
Wallace