Verbal lease - Can I legally leave if I give a 30 day notice?

[ur02111222]

Hi everyone,

 

I have a bit of a dilemma, and want to make sure I do not unintentionally do something illegal.

 

I moved in with a friend during the summer. Her father is the landlord of the apartment. I never signed a lease. I never even spoke with him about living agreements-all contact to him was through the daughter. I pay a set amount each month that covers various bills.

 

I'd like to move out due to difficulties with the daughter. She is not a very good roommate and has started trying to charge me for things that we agreed were to be included in the lump monthly sum. The apartment was not clean when I moved in. The landlord (her father) did not even provide me with a key-I was forced to make my own copy off of hers. Certain appliances were not working correctly and he has come to look at them, and declined to repair them since they are too expensive and not necessary. Yet I was under the impression these things were in working order when I moved and they were part of the reason I moved out of my studio apartment.

 

I live in Kansas, and so far everything I've found makes it seem like it's okay for me to leave provided I give a 30-day written notice. I never made any verbal agreement with the landlord (her father) to stay for a full year. I've barely spoken to the man, except to say "hello" and that "this appliance doesn't work-can you fix it," which he's declined to do.

 

Is there any legal step he could take against me were I to leave after only six months? Again, I have no lease, so I would be a "tenant at will," yes? And I made no verbal agreement with him. Nothing is in writing. So there is no way for him/her to claim I have a verbal lease even, correct?

 

*confused*

[annony]

I can't see why you'd be worried about it. You never so much as even said you'd be staying for a year! No, there's nothing he can do.

Sure, I've never lived in Kansas, but that's just ridiculous, no matter what state you live in.

[ur02111222]

I can't see why you'd be worried about it. You never so much as even said you'd be staying for a year! No, there's nothing he can do.

Sure, I've never lived in Kansas, but that's just ridiculous, no matter what state you live in.

 

Probably because I'm a worrier.

 

Thanks!!!

[HeartGoesOn]

If there were no lease involved, a 30 day notice should be fine. However, you need to guard yourself by getting everything, and I mean everything in writing!

[ur02111222]

If there were no lease involved, a 30 day notice should be fine. However, you need to guard yourself by getting everything, and I mean everything in writing!

 

You mean keeping copies of my notices? Yeah, because I don't have anything else in writing. Nothing was ever put on paper.

[Princess123]

You can't prove much if it's not in writing. It's just hearsay and that is hard to prove. You are being considerate by putting a 30 day notice but it's also a paper trail to "admit" you lived there. You didn't sign a lease so the girl and her dad didn't protect themselves, not your fault, and it's a good thing in your case. The only problem I really see is getting another place. If you get a solo apartment and they ask where you lived previously, then contacted these people... someone could be rather upset and give you a bad reference. Then again hard to prove who is telling the truth. I agree that a statement of some sorts in a nice way explaining that you don't want to live there for ________ reasons. Possibly notarized? Then have the father/landlord sign off on the paper that he agrees or what not. So when you do move if they try to give you a bad reference at least you can show something.

[Lonewing]

You can technically leave tomorrow...you have no paperwork saying you live there, so...well, you're not exactly a tenant.