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Just got notice that our house is being put up for sale and that we need to be out in 6 months. This is not an early termination, but a notice we will not be able to renew our lease.

Since we'll likely need to move again in a year when my wife goes back to work this puts us in a tough spot: Stay until the end of the lease and then try to find 6 month housing or break our current lease and find a one-year rental right now.

The latter looks easier but it only really makes sense if we're able to get out of our current lease smoothly.

Update: Could not get hold of the landlord (they are behind a property management company that didn't share his contact). We found a nice place that lets us move in when the original notice was for (November). But, as of this morning, the landlord changed his mind and wants us out ASAP.

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    Is this a notice of early termination of the lease or just a notice that it won’t be renewed? If the latter, I don’t see how that could give you any grounds for early termination.
    – prl
    May 3, 2018 at 18:21
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    It’s possible they want you out sooner but they can’t force it. You may be in a strong position for negotiation.
    – prl
    May 3, 2018 at 18:24
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    It's a notice that it won’t be renewed.
    – dranxo
    May 3, 2018 at 18:26
  • @Joe what should I call it?
    – dranxo
    May 3, 2018 at 19:44
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    @levteck That looks like an answer to me?
    – Joe
    May 3, 2018 at 20:06

2 Answers 2

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Go to the landlord and explain your problem. The landlord might be willing to either

  1. Let you out of the lease early so as to sell sooner.
  2. Let you stay for six more months on the current lease.

You don't mention your country nor a more local jurisdiction (e.g. state in the United States), but being asked to leave at the end of your lease does not sound like something which would get you judicial or regulator help. If it were, the landlord probably wouldn't be notifying you so long in advance.

As @levteck said, it is easier to clean, fix, paint, stage, and show the property without you in it. So if the landlord definitely wants to sell, you may well get support in leaving early. You might even find that the landlord would like you to leave early and will give you something to do so.

You are more likely to get something if you ask the landlord if it will help if you leave early before explaining why it would help you. It may help win you more sympathy if you explain first. Either approach can work. Think about what you know about the landlord and your needs before picking one.

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  • We're in the SF Bay Area in California. Sounds like I can only go to the landlord directly.
    – dranxo
    May 5, 2018 at 1:13
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(As recommended, I moved this from a comment to a possible answer, but as far as I am concerned these are still mere suggestions. What is on paper always prevail and landlords looking to make a buck may not comply.) so...

Find ways to negotiate with your landlord so you can get out early without paying penalties.
1 - Explain the situation the landlord has put you in (this may get you sympathy)
2 - Remind the landlord that if you move out early, it will be easy when it is empty to stage or paint or make improvements to get a better selling price.
3 - Remind the landlord that if there are no tenants in, It will be easy to schedule showings at anytime without any need to double check with you for showing time.
Good luck.
Extra: In Florida, we have an option, which I give my tenants, to break a lease in return of one month rent in addition to the agreed upon notice period. You can try that and see if they accept, although in their case they are selling and not renting again so having an extra month to find the next tenant is no real advantage to them.

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