I am from overseas and have just lost my job after being in a 12-month contract apartment for only 5 months, and will therefore have to leave the US. I have contacted the landlord and asked to lease break after the sixth month, offering to forfeit my deposit and pay another month's rent on top, but unfortunately they have refused my offers and want me to continue paying rent until another tenant moves in - which will seemingly not be before they end of my contract as they are not bothering to re-advertise and will not help me in any way.
1. I understand that in NYC the landlord does not have any obligation to mitigate their losses if I move out. Does that mean that if they decided to go after me, an NYC court would be likely to award them the full six months of remaining contract rent, even though I will have moved out by then?
2. There is also a clause in the contract which seems to imply they could take double rent, but it is photocopied unclearly with some words missing at the top so I am not sure of the exact meaning:
"Landlord has no duty to re-rent the unit. If Landlord does re-rent, the fact that all or part of the next tenant's rent is not (...unclear...) the next tenant's rent. Tenant must continue to pay rent, damages, losses and expenses without offset."
Could this really mean that even if they find a new tenant, they still expect me to go on paying rent?! Wouldn't this be illegal, even in NYC?