Getting kicked out because I

[flameproof]

less any agreed damages.

Huge room for argument here.

Anyway, I am puzzled why the landlord makes such a fuzz. Is the rent too low? Do they want to sell without tenant? Market ain't that good....

[TheBrit]

Huge room for argument here.

Yes, definitely. Lots of people get screwed by unscrupulous HK landlords, for sure.

[TheDocHK]

Huge room for argument here.

Anyway, I am puzzled why the landlord makes such a fuzz. Is the rent too low? Do they want to sell without tenant? Market ain't that good....

My rent is pretty low yes. My agent who is a friend of landlord's negotiated for me and dropped the rent from 23k to 16kHKD for a 4 months lease. I'm trying to suspect my agent to have made a deal with the LL and that they were after my deposit from the very beginning.

[MandM!]

My rent is pretty low yes. My agent who is a friend of landlord's negotiated for me and dropped the rent from 23k to 16kHKD for a 4 months lease. I'm trying to suspect my agent to have made a deal with the LL and that they were after my deposit from the very beginning.

I doubt it. But I think meeting you one can easily know that you are easy money to screw over so why not. You need to stand your ground or get walked on and by your comments, you are getting walked on.

[TheDocHK]

I got it MandM, cool down please.

[Claire ex-ax]

Perhaps have a third-party there at key/deposit handover as a witness. Video it too.

[HK_Katherine]

Ok cool. I'll do that. Thanks

So you're saying that even if my lease says that it ends on the 12th of January, there is some kind of law that is saying that it continues until I give the premise back? What's the point of having an end date on a lease then?

If he does not return your deposit, then the lease is not ended because he has not adhered to the terms of it and you can continue to stay there. You should also pay rent, but it would give you the option to delay the last month payment to offset the lack of deposit.

As others have stated, an INTENT to sublet is like an intent to murder... so long as you didn't actually DO it, no crime involved. He does not have a leg to stand on.

As others here have clearly and accurately indicated, just grow a backbone and refuse to back down. Just state, verbally or in writing (with the latter being better imho), that you did not sublet, you are not in breach of your lease, you are prepared to hand over your keys on the [date] and expect to get your deposit back in accordance with the terms of the lease. Fill in the form 7 to object to the illegal notice on your door. You have the law in your favour, you only need to just stand up and use it and stop being intimidated by your landlord. If you can't do that, get a friend to help you or something.

[TheDocHK]

Yeah you guys are right. I just wanted to be sure that it would not be illegal to change the locks even with the lease that ends, but now that I know it's not, I'll fight the landlord.

Here's what I'll do:
- change the locks.
- send the landlord an email saying that I will give him the new keys after mutual inspection and him giving me the cash in my hand.
- state in the email that B&E will still be considered as a crime as the lease is not completed and that he should not try to enter unless he wants to be in big trouble.

I will videotape the mutual inspection and have a friend with me as a witness.

Meanwhile I'll just sleep at a friend's house. I'll move out because as the guy clearly is a dumbass he might break in and just throw my stuff away in anger.

I will share all of this with the tribunal and state it in the opposition form so that everything is 100% crystal clear on both sides.

[bookblogger]

Why do you keep rolling over? Do not move out.

[East_coast]

He could have been looking on AirBnB for comparable flats to see how much he could rent his flat for and wham there is his own flat!

yes, but very improbable. There are a few 100 AirBNB places out of millions of flats. Just doesn't seem to add up. Oh well looks like the OP is still unsure what to do even though the advice is pretty unified and forceful.