Can we get out of a new lease due to the landlord’s mental instability, harassment and vandalization of our property?
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Can we get out of a new lease due to the landlord’s mental instability, harassment and vandalization of our property?
My landlord is mentally unstable, something we where not aware of when we signed our 2 year lease. He has vandalized our property as well as breaking his own property in our yard. He tried to enter our home with out knocking/announcing himself which almost got him shot because we did not know who was trying to open the door, had it not been locked I don’t know what the outcome would have been. We had to call the cops on him for vandalizing our car, the next day he was seen with a knife outside the property, the cops where called and no one has seen him sence. I was told by a retired cop he is most likely in a mental hospital. I have proof of the harassment and craziness we have had to deal with including pictures of damage, pictures of trash and objects left at our door and in our mailbox and actual notes he left calling us names, saying f*** you, and saying things that make no sence at all. Even if he gets help I don’t know how we can ever feel safe here again.
Asked on July 10, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Oklahoma
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
If the landlord for the unit that you are renting is not in your opinion mentally competent to have entered into the contract that you entered into for your rental and is harassing you to the point that your "quiet enjoyment" of the rental is being infringed upon, it seems that you would have a legal and factual basis to terminate your lease without further recourse with the landlord.
Before you do so, I would consult with a landlord tenant attorney about your situation and have him or her counsel you on how to terminate the lease, move out and move forward with your life at another location.
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