Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Georgia
I am renting a house in the state of Georgia. Our lease has a penalty of three month's rent if the lease is broken. I am being transferred to another state for work. Can the landlord enforce this penalty?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Sure - those provisions are generally enforceable as by signing the lease you agreed to it. Your employment situation is not the landlord's issue.
Normally, employers understand that mortgages and rent have to be paid at the old location and agree to pay all or part of the penalty for sudden transfers. You should ask your employer if it offers such benefits. Otherwise, you will have to pay a penalty unless there is something in the lease that relieves you from the penalty, you can sublease the apartment, or you can negotiate the penalty with a two month penalty, a payment plan, or some other concession.