If I don`t pay rental

[virtua]

Hi,

So I`m an international student and I plan to leave the apartment (I live in university apartments) before the lease period ends, because I was fired from my RA position, so as soon as I`m done with classes, I want to leave, as it would be pointless for me to stay here. University apartments manager doesn`t think that I can be granted contract release, since I`m still enrolled as a student, while I presented a letter from my (ex-)advisor that I will not be funded anymore after May, 13 as a proof that I`m being kind of expelled from university (or program, let`s say).

1) What should I do? I think it is unfair if I pay rental for 1 month (or even I would say 1.5 months), which I don`t plan to stay there. Should I try somehow push them to release my contract? Don`t I have a right to leave earlier in my case?

2) What if I don`t pay for 1 month? What might happen?

[namarie]

I'm not sure about the legalities or anything, but you might be able to find someone to sublet your apartment. A lot of students do that during the summer when they plan to go home but can't break the contract. 

[TakeruK]

I am sorry to hear that you are in this position. Unfortunately, if you are not granted release from your contract or lease, and then you will be legally responsible for the rental fees until the end of the contract, whether or not you actually live in the apartment.

I disagree with you that this is unfair. After all, if you were not renting from the school, you might have an even longer lease contract. In many places, leases are 1 year contracts, so if you are kicked out of your program in the middle of the year, you would have to find some way to sublet your apartment or hope the landlord releases you from your contract. However, remember that your apartment lease is a contract and once you sign a contract, you legally agree to abide by all of the statements in the contract, even if you don't like them.

I do agree with you that this sucks a lot though, however, I give some suggestions below!

If you don't pay for 1 month, I don't know what will happen. Usually, if you do not pay rent and the rent is owed to the University, then they will lock all of your university accounts. I am not sure what you plan to do after you leave this program. But one thing they usually do is prevent you from ordering official transcripts until all debts are paid. So, if you plan to apply to different programs, you will have to pay this rent in order to send transcripts. If you are going to receive a Masters degree, they might also hold onto your diploma until your debt is paid.

In addition, like any other landlord, if you don't pay your rent, they can eventually evict you (although in this case, it sounds like you will be leaving so this might not matter) and also sue you and take you to court for the money that you owe. If this happens, it will impact your rental history and it could affect your credit report and any future ability to get credit. I don't know what your future plans are, so I do not think it is a good idea to try to avoid paying rent to the end of your contract.

Here are some suggestions on what you could do instead:

1. As namarie said, maybe you can find someone you can sublet the apartment to, as long as this is allowed in your lease and the landlord agrees to it. This is usually more easily done for apartments that aren't owned by University Housing though. However, maybe Housing has a waiting list of people hoping to move in. So, talking to the Housing Manager is a good first step.

2. Your advisor is going to stop paying you after May 13, but when are you officially "kicked out" of the program? If it's not the same date, then no, even though you are not being paid, this does not mean that you are no longer a student. So, one way to potentially end your housing contract is to cease being a student (the contract might have a clause to end your lease when you are no longer a student because University Housing generally wants their housing to be for students only). If showing the letter from your ex-advisor is not enough, can you talk to the registrar/grad school to officially leave the University on May 13? This may allow you to end all contracts with the school.

Note: I think I remember from your previous posts that you are an international student. If so, and if you are on F-1 or J-1 status, then remember that if you leave your educational program before it is completed, then you must immediately leave the United States. You do not get the 30 days "grace period" between program ending and leaving the US because you did not complete your program. So, if you choose option 2 above, then you should have everything else prepared to leave too (make sure you do the exit paperwork as necessary with your international student office, close bank accounts etc. etc.). If you need more time, then maybe you can figure out when the best date for you to officially leave/separate from the University.

3. Finally, maybe you can seek assistance from other sources on campus (Graduate Office etc.) to ask Housing for a special exception so that you don't have to pay rent after you leave. There are lots of cases on school campuses where if you ask for help, you will get it. Official policies might not take into account scenarios like yours. Maybe if you show that you would have a serious financial hardship having to pay rent while you are not being paid and that you want/need to go home (officially removing yourself from the University, as in Option 2 above, would require you to leave the country, so maybe that can help your case here). 

Note #2: This is a tough situation and these are just ideas for your consideration. You might want to talk to other people in the University before taking any action to make sure there are no other unintended consequences. I am not guaranteeing that any of this advice would work!

[virtua]

So, I`m done with finals, so is it possible now officially "not to be a student anymore"?  

I mean, can I somehow stop my student status, so my contract with uni apartments can be released?

Edited May 15, 2016 by virtua

[ExponentialDecay]

A lot of the questions you post here, including this one, cannot be resolved by anonymous members on an internet forum. People here give excellent general advice, but they cannot advise you on issues that by definition must be resolved between you and the people responsible for those issues. We don't know what the policy on student status is at your university. You being an international student further complicates matters, because then we not only have to guess the policy of the Registrar at this unnamed university, but also the International Office. Those are the entities that can give you the answers you want, not us. You should go talk to them.