Breaking rental contracts

Closed Thread
  1. #1

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    4

    Breaking rental contracts

    Myself and another girl are sharing a flat in Hong Kong, but she has decided Hong Kong is not for her. We have a twelve month contract with five more months to go. I know that you can be held liable for the other months if you want to break the contract- but is there any accepted way round this? Can you find other people to take over your contract? Does anyone know who to contact for advice on residential issues? Thanks


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    14,414

    Your options really are.

    1. advertise here for a housemate willing to take her place till the end of the contract.

    2. Get some guys in who are willing to take over the whole place and release you from your agreement with the landlord.

    Also it does depend on what your plans are as well?

    Stay on in HK or head off with your house mate?


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Discovery Bay
    Posts
    388

    Getting out of the contract all depends on the landlord - talk to them and see if you can come to an agreement. Not all are very helpful though, as I've found out to my cost.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    4

    Definitely moving

    Thanks for the advice. I have decided to move out too. I am just dreading losing money over this- but it sounds like that is very possible. The landlord can't speak english and actually lives in another country so it is quite complicated. A lady from Hong Kong told me to chance it by using the flat for another two months without paying, so my deposit will be used up instead of rent. Do you know if that is common here- it is England, but being in an entirley different country I am weary of it getting messy! Do you know of anyone that has done that here?
    Thanks


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    14,414

    Its done but I wouldn't reccomend it, Chances are you might get a knock on the door by some of the landlords relatives etc and that could start getting messy.

    Have you tried advertising here on the classifieds to see if anybody is interested in taking over the lease?


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    23,205

    Which of you signed the contract? If it was your housemate then you have no legal liability anyway, so you could risk it... but you also have no legal protection, so you'd have to be prepared to leave at an instant's notice.


  7. #7

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    4

    Both of us signed up- so we are in it together. I guess I just need to hope we can sort it out. Cheers for the advice- I'll post info on the classifieds as soon as I talk to our agent.


  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    92

    Going home I think...

    Hi All,
    I too will have to break my lease contract. I have just moved into flat - signed 1 yr lease until July 2007; however there is just stuff going on, and I'm probably going have to pack up and leave HK in Dec. I live by myself and so I have signed the lease. I guess I will have to negotiate with the land lord. Not sure whether I will have to forfeit deposit. Does anyone know??


  9. #9

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    543

    from experience, usually it doesn't get legal, so as long as you're willing to give up your deposit and keep paying rent while you actually live there, you should be ok. they can't do anything as long as you don't live there for free, and assuming you leave the place reasonably clean/intact and do not try to get the deposit money back, why would they want anything else from you? that's the way to do it i believe, losing deposits is an unfortunate but integral part of the renting life.