How do I get out of being charged for an apartment that I never moved into so that it wont effect my credit?

I signed a lease for an apartment nine months before I was supposed to move in. At the time of signing a lease I was a student at the University in the area, but at the end of the semester I lost my financial aid and had to move in with my boyfriend ( who I am on the lease with). The complex is going to charge me for the full lease (about $4000) even though I never moved in. I month ago I spoke with an employee at the complex and was told that since they knew I wasnt going to be moving in they would find someone to fill my lease. I called the complex back a month later and was informed that the girl was new, and that they would not put someone in the room and I would be responsible for paying the full amount. I am unable to pay for an apt I don't live in, otherwise I would have gone ahead and lived there. I know that this will effect my credit and was just wondering if there was any way to fight it, and if not, how much good credit and how long will it take to bring my credit back up.

Answer:
When did you notify them that you would not be moving in? What was the date that you were to move in to the apartment and when did they find someone as a replacment tenant? All of these questions are relevant. Yes, you will probably be sued but there is something under the law called "mitigation of damages". It means that if they found a replacement tenant for the unit, you are entitled to an offset against the total value of the lease as their losses would not be for the full term of the lease but only for that period of time that it was empty (and probably their legal fees). Try to find a legal aid clinic in your area as many of them specialize in landlord tenant matters and will give you guidance.
Key words:

"I signed a lease"


Can you say "breach of contract"?
They are not legally allowed to accept payment for the same place from two people.I don't believe they are going to let it sit vacant for a year. They are required to give you the credit for the months someone else has lived there. If no one lives there yet you can try and speed up the process by finding someone to live there.friends/family/coworke. check around to see if anyone's interested. Otherwise stay on top of them to find out when someone moves in, and they cannot charge you from that time. If they fight you on it I would threaten to get a lawyer, and if neccesary, go get one. Good luck, apartment managers can be real jerks, huh?
look at your lease contract, it should list the consequences of early termination of your lease. you might want to speak to the property manager or a lease agent of the complex about your options. If you're required to pay, and you don't, it will screw up your credit, and it wont be fixed until you pay it off, or get charged off.

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