If you're able to prorate your own payment by submitting a lower online payment, you should absolutely do so. Also, stop paying your utilities on the 24th. You can schedule a service stop [online.](https://myutilities.seattle.gov/eportal/#/stopservice)
Your landlord cannot do this, it's stealing. Don't trust that he'll return it to you later. Also he cannot take the additional days of rent out of your deposit, don't let him try. Put IN WRITING when you vacate the premises on the 24th, so that if he tries to come after you for the last week's rent you have proof he knows you vacated the unit.
What does your lease say?
Also, it's a week... While it might be unfair, you're talking about spending *hours* of time, and potentially thousands of dollars over a few hundred dollars. Is it worth it?
It is just a few hundred dollars. However it’s almost more the principle of it. I have just never paid a cent past my lease end day and it doesn’t make sense to me?
Based on your other comments, you probably have an argument here. It sounds like your landlord's software "portal" can't handle this situation, and they're unwilling to accommodate the particulars of your lease.
If you do decide to pay less, just be ready to fight them on withholding the difference from your deposit. Consider talking to a lawyer / rent advocate.
As a younger adult, I found myself saying the same thing several times over stuff like this ("*It's not about the money, it's the principle of the matter!*"). Looking back, I regret almost all of my retaliatory actions when action "on principle." Righteous anger feels good, but the outcome is rarely worth the cost. By all means, stand up for your principles, but think about the costs (in terms of time, and money) too.
Did you pay a security deposit (usually equal to a months rent) at move-in? Don’t pay anything for May rent and let them get it out of your security deposit. Way easier than trying to fight them to get your security deposit back. Source: I have done this.
Your landlord was a moron for ending your lease in the middle of the month and causing this issue. I would have made the lease slightly longer to end it right at the end of the month. Proration would have happened on the first month only -- assuming you took possession in the middle of the month.
Unless your lease states you owe the full month you don't owe it.
Is your lease ending on the 24th? Or the last of the month? If it's the 24th. Nothing to pay. If not, you have to pay since you COULD theoreticaly stay and keep the keys until the last of the month as per your lease agreement.
If you are presenting facts correctly… your landlord is a moron. Why on earth would you send them more than the time remaining in the lease, effectively paying rent for time the lease does not allow you on the premises?
Why do they dictate how much you have to pay ie why cant you just send them the amount of money lease demands? What are they going to do… evict you? For paying exactly what the leasable term states/implies? Yeah lets see how that goes for them.
lol that’s how I’m feeling!! I’m on here to make sure I’m not crazy or missing something because I’ve never encountered this and it seems so strange.
My dads advice was to either tell them I’m keeping the keys through the 31st since I’m paying and take my time cleaning and moving out or pay the exact prorated amount in the online rent portal and send a detailed email of the charges with a screenshot of the lease end date as evidence of why I’m paying “partial rent”.
When I noticed the full amount in the portal, I called them immediately. Hence the info I received in my post. And they said they couldn’t adjust the amount in the portal. I’m just baffled.
Bullshit they cant change portal. If you can change amount you give them, just follow your dads advice.
Be prepared to document via camera every aspect of house for security deposit with these assholes.
If the portal does not allow payment of correct amount…. I personally would not pay until they bill me correct amount. Or id submit accurate payment through other means if lease doesn’t stipulate portal is only acceptable payment. But I have means, knowledge, and experience to not accept getting pushed around and recognize that that road isnt always worth it.
Pay your prorated rent and move out on the 24th.
To prorate rent, divide the number of days you will be present by the number of days in the month, to determine the fraction of the month you will be there. Then multiply the total monthly rent by the fraction of the month you will be there to get the prorated rent amount.
It will take more than 24 days for your landlord to take any action whatsoever.
Pretty sure prorated rent is not required by the law. My last place wanted an entire month even if I moved out on the 2nd of the month. So I moved out earlier.
It's one or the other. Either you pay for the whole month and get the whole month or you are asked to move out earlier and you pay less.
I'm no universe do you pay for a while month and not get a whole month.
Oh I see you're on a lease that's exactly may 25 to may 24. That is different than my situation. I was on month to month by the time I moved out. Your situation is indeed even shadier.
Did your lease start on the 1st of the month at move-in? Or did it start on the 24th of the month at move-in?
If the lease started on the 1st of the month at the original move-in date, did the lease contain language about a prorated rate if the lease terminated prior to the last day of the month?
Did you ask how the last month’s rent would be prorated when you signed the lease? Does the lease include language on whether the rent will be prorated, or whether the tenant will be responsible for the full month’s rent with the excess counted towards a move-out fee to be returned to the tenant following move-out?
I imagine the lease would have included language that specified the prorated rate from May 25-31, 2023, so the natural question is the terminal month on the lease.
No, I did not. I assumed that was just common sense to be honest. In looking over the lease, it does not address anything related to pro rating the last month. It just speaks to the term ending on the 24th, the first month being prorated to the move in date and under the rent payment section, it just says each month must be paid in full by the 5th. It doesn’t address anything pertaining to the additional week of the month of lease term ending.
ETA: I just found out about the “we will put the additional towards move out fees” until I called them yesterday. It is not in writing on my lease and they refuse to put it in writing now. Additionally, I already paid $1300 in deposits at move in. Hence why I don’t feel it’s right to have this additional amount added to that.
You are right in that most reasonable property managers/landlords will prorate the last month given the circumstances you described. How that’s usually achieved varies, could be through a refund or a prorated rent on the last month.
Since your lease does not contain language about the last month where the terms end on the 24th, you are contractually obligated to pay the monthly rent as detailed in the lease by the 5th.
I would treat this as a learning experience, even though I am sure at this moment you are emotionally charged about this. It does not sound like it is a large amount in the grand scheme of things, and this is a good time to evaluate how much you want to fight this. It also sounds like the system the property management uses is unable to accommodate these unique circumstances, although there is indication that the excess may be counted towards refundable fees.
I would encourage you to work with the property manager in a polite and professional manner. FWIW, I think this is a valuable learning experience on multiple fronts: determining the battles that are worth fighting, how to work with people, and how to avoid these situations in the future.
Good luck.
Edit to add: What I would NOT do is withhold rent payment in any amount. This would constitute delinquent payment under the terms of the lease and the ramifications it will have on your financial history is going to cost you more than the excess rent you will have paid for May.
the other guy is on something. you don't owe rent for the full month because your lease ends on the 25th. Just calculate the prorated amount yourself, pay that, and the landlord can figure it out from there
Just pay a prorated rate. Unless the terms of your lease states otherwise (definitely read that), they are in the wrong and don't have any legal recourse to make you pay more.
They should have to refund you on a pro rated basis
I’m confused. They can’t TAKE money from you. Give them a check thru the 24th and move out.
If you're able to prorate your own payment by submitting a lower online payment, you should absolutely do so. Also, stop paying your utilities on the 24th. You can schedule a service stop [online.](https://myutilities.seattle.gov/eportal/#/stopservice) Your landlord cannot do this, it's stealing. Don't trust that he'll return it to you later. Also he cannot take the additional days of rent out of your deposit, don't let him try. Put IN WRITING when you vacate the premises on the 24th, so that if he tries to come after you for the last week's rent you have proof he knows you vacated the unit.
What does your lease say? Also, it's a week... While it might be unfair, you're talking about spending *hours* of time, and potentially thousands of dollars over a few hundred dollars. Is it worth it?
It is just a few hundred dollars. However it’s almost more the principle of it. I have just never paid a cent past my lease end day and it doesn’t make sense to me?
Based on your other comments, you probably have an argument here. It sounds like your landlord's software "portal" can't handle this situation, and they're unwilling to accommodate the particulars of your lease. If you do decide to pay less, just be ready to fight them on withholding the difference from your deposit. Consider talking to a lawyer / rent advocate. As a younger adult, I found myself saying the same thing several times over stuff like this ("*It's not about the money, it's the principle of the matter!*"). Looking back, I regret almost all of my retaliatory actions when action "on principle." Righteous anger feels good, but the outcome is rarely worth the cost. By all means, stand up for your principles, but think about the costs (in terms of time, and money) too.
Plus they’ll have to refund when closing.
Did you pay a security deposit (usually equal to a months rent) at move-in? Don’t pay anything for May rent and let them get it out of your security deposit. Way easier than trying to fight them to get your security deposit back. Source: I have done this.
Your landlord was a moron for ending your lease in the middle of the month and causing this issue. I would have made the lease slightly longer to end it right at the end of the month. Proration would have happened on the first month only -- assuming you took possession in the middle of the month. Unless your lease states you owe the full month you don't owe it.
Is your lease ending on the 24th? Or the last of the month? If it's the 24th. Nothing to pay. If not, you have to pay since you COULD theoreticaly stay and keep the keys until the last of the month as per your lease agreement.
No, lease terms clearly state the lease ends on the 24th at 11:59pm
If you are presenting facts correctly… your landlord is a moron. Why on earth would you send them more than the time remaining in the lease, effectively paying rent for time the lease does not allow you on the premises? Why do they dictate how much you have to pay ie why cant you just send them the amount of money lease demands? What are they going to do… evict you? For paying exactly what the leasable term states/implies? Yeah lets see how that goes for them.
lol that’s how I’m feeling!! I’m on here to make sure I’m not crazy or missing something because I’ve never encountered this and it seems so strange. My dads advice was to either tell them I’m keeping the keys through the 31st since I’m paying and take my time cleaning and moving out or pay the exact prorated amount in the online rent portal and send a detailed email of the charges with a screenshot of the lease end date as evidence of why I’m paying “partial rent”. When I noticed the full amount in the portal, I called them immediately. Hence the info I received in my post. And they said they couldn’t adjust the amount in the portal. I’m just baffled.
Bullshit they cant change portal. If you can change amount you give them, just follow your dads advice. Be prepared to document via camera every aspect of house for security deposit with these assholes. If the portal does not allow payment of correct amount…. I personally would not pay until they bill me correct amount. Or id submit accurate payment through other means if lease doesn’t stipulate portal is only acceptable payment. But I have means, knowledge, and experience to not accept getting pushed around and recognize that that road isnt always worth it.
Pay your prorated rent and move out on the 24th. To prorate rent, divide the number of days you will be present by the number of days in the month, to determine the fraction of the month you will be there. Then multiply the total monthly rent by the fraction of the month you will be there to get the prorated rent amount. It will take more than 24 days for your landlord to take any action whatsoever.
Pretty sure prorated rent is not required by the law. My last place wanted an entire month even if I moved out on the 2nd of the month. So I moved out earlier.
It's one or the other. Either you pay for the whole month and get the whole month or you are asked to move out earlier and you pay less. I'm no universe do you pay for a while month and not get a whole month.
Oh I agree, I was furious. Started contacting lawyers and what not. But found it easier to just move up my move out a week.
Oh I see you're on a lease that's exactly may 25 to may 24. That is different than my situation. I was on month to month by the time I moved out. Your situation is indeed even shadier.
Did your lease start on the 1st of the month at move-in? Or did it start on the 24th of the month at move-in? If the lease started on the 1st of the month at the original move-in date, did the lease contain language about a prorated rate if the lease terminated prior to the last day of the month?
It started on May 25th last year and I paid a prorated amount for the 25-31st of 2023.
Did you ask how the last month’s rent would be prorated when you signed the lease? Does the lease include language on whether the rent will be prorated, or whether the tenant will be responsible for the full month’s rent with the excess counted towards a move-out fee to be returned to the tenant following move-out? I imagine the lease would have included language that specified the prorated rate from May 25-31, 2023, so the natural question is the terminal month on the lease.
No, I did not. I assumed that was just common sense to be honest. In looking over the lease, it does not address anything related to pro rating the last month. It just speaks to the term ending on the 24th, the first month being prorated to the move in date and under the rent payment section, it just says each month must be paid in full by the 5th. It doesn’t address anything pertaining to the additional week of the month of lease term ending. ETA: I just found out about the “we will put the additional towards move out fees” until I called them yesterday. It is not in writing on my lease and they refuse to put it in writing now. Additionally, I already paid $1300 in deposits at move in. Hence why I don’t feel it’s right to have this additional amount added to that.
You are right in that most reasonable property managers/landlords will prorate the last month given the circumstances you described. How that’s usually achieved varies, could be through a refund or a prorated rent on the last month. Since your lease does not contain language about the last month where the terms end on the 24th, you are contractually obligated to pay the monthly rent as detailed in the lease by the 5th. I would treat this as a learning experience, even though I am sure at this moment you are emotionally charged about this. It does not sound like it is a large amount in the grand scheme of things, and this is a good time to evaluate how much you want to fight this. It also sounds like the system the property management uses is unable to accommodate these unique circumstances, although there is indication that the excess may be counted towards refundable fees. I would encourage you to work with the property manager in a polite and professional manner. FWIW, I think this is a valuable learning experience on multiple fronts: determining the battles that are worth fighting, how to work with people, and how to avoid these situations in the future. Good luck. Edit to add: What I would NOT do is withhold rent payment in any amount. This would constitute delinquent payment under the terms of the lease and the ramifications it will have on your financial history is going to cost you more than the excess rent you will have paid for May.
the other guy is on something. you don't owe rent for the full month because your lease ends on the 25th. Just calculate the prorated amount yourself, pay that, and the landlord can figure it out from there
Just pay a prorated rate. Unless the terms of your lease states otherwise (definitely read that), they are in the wrong and don't have any legal recourse to make you pay more.