You need to check with the landlord or a lawyer to be sure, but to me that clause says that you need to pay the amount of 2 extra months of rent, over and above the rent you owe for the time you live in the apartment. The 2 months rent is a sort of penalty you have to pay to break the lease. If you have several months left on the lease, that's actually a pretty good deal. Many places will not let you out of a lease at all, and you are responsible for paying rent for the entire year, unless your landlord can find a new tenant.

I've been out of town so am a little late to this party ;) Just thought I'd toss in my .02. I'm not a lawyer but am a landlord. I'm going to disagree to some extent with some posts here. I'm looking at it from my perspective and personally I feel like your landlord goofed, and is perhaps circling back to you to cover her mistakes. A lot of things that should have been put in writing were not. However, there are strong indicators of the direction this deal was taking. Allowing you to pay prorated rent for October is a big indicator that your landlord was not only aware of the fact that you were moving, she also approved a specific and premature (prior to lease expiration) 'end' date in October that your rent payment would cease. In other words it's not like you up and moved out under cloak of darkness ;) Clearly discussion and negotiation took place because a specific number of days for October rent was decided and agreed upon by both parties. Next she went so far as to secure a deposit from a different prospective tenant. It's true you're responsible for rent till your lease is up, but it's also true she needs to seek other occupants and secure them via a binding contract. She fell short here. I don't see that it matters whether she took $500 to 'hold' it or the same amount that she charged you for a deposit, because landlords can change deposit amounts from tenant to tenant, as long as it's not in violation of the ceiling dictated by State law. The dollar amount she took from them is not really your concern or burden to bear, that was her call to make and does not involve you because she's commencing a new agreement with entirely different parties involved. The fact is she took a deposit, released you early, but failed to obtain the most critical component: a signed, binding agreement with the new tenants. Big mistake. Deals fall through all the time. A deal is never sealed until all parties have signed on. I'm imagining myself standing in front of a judge explaining why I'm trying to now come back to worrywart for rents due and frankly, I think I'd be embarrassed. It would have been so easy to have a lease ready, signed when the deposit was collected, but not commence until 10/5. Then she could have officially let you know that you only needed to pay through 10/4, because a new lease was starting 10/5. She dropped that ball. So I'm thinking you're not entirely responsible at this point and that you do have recourse. The strongest indicator is the acceptance of the pro-rated rent, the second indicator is the deposit she got from the other couple. If your landlord failed to follow through and seal the deal with a signed lease with new tenants before letting you out, that's not really your burden to bear. That's how I see it anyway.

I found the following from Maryland Landlord Tenant Laws: Q -"Can I break the lease if management doesnÂt properly maintain the property?" A -The answer is that it depends. If the property is so poorly maintained that it is no longer tenable to live there, a tenant may be able to go into District Court under the Rent Escrow Law (and in Baltimore City, under the Warranty of Habitability) and have a judge void the lease. In addition, if a tenant vacates a property because of the severity of the conditions, the tenant may be able to sue the landlord for constructive eviction and have the court void the lease and give the tenant money damages. The remedies of Rent Escrow, Warranty of Habitability and Constructive Eviction are somewhat complicated and it is advisable to seek assistance before proceeding. BNI, the Legal Aid Bureau (for income eligible clients), Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (for income eligible clients), or a private attorney may be able to provide you with more detailed information tailored to your particular situation. [Normally, the remedy for poor maintenance is to file a complaint with the local housing inspectors and/or to send a letter by certified mail to the landlord noting the items you want repaired. Then, if the landlord has not complied with the violation notice or repaired the property within a reasonable time, and if the repairs needed are substantial, it is possible to petition the court, in a rent escrow process, (and/or warranty of habitability process in Baltimore City) to have the rent money placed into an escrow account until all repairs are completed.] Actually, the laws are very easy to navigate and get answer to your questions (compared to many states). You can view the full content here: Landlord-Tenant Law Another page from that site: Tips from the Experts on Landlord Tenant Law Contact #'s are included as well. It's a good guide to help you out with whom to contact (including attorneys/legal aid, etc.)

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