Hi,
This is my first post so I apologies if I put this in the wrong category.
My situation is, I am 9 months into a lease that expires in 3 months. The lease said all utilities included when I signed. When I moved into the apartment I started receiving several notices from Con-Ed saying if you dont pay the charges they would cut off power. I called my LL for this but they didn't want to pay for the electricity saying its a personal expense , even though I told them the lease says that all utilities are included and you signed this lease in presence of the real estate agent. Afraid that I would loose power and it would be a mess trying to get it restarted, I went ahead and got an account with con-ed. For this the LL agreed to lower the rent by $50 and said they will be ok to let me go if I say I cannot afford it at any point and wish to move out. The issue is I never got any of this in writing.
Now I want to move to a different place but the LL is not agreeing to break the lease saying this will be a financial loss for them. I already have the next place signed up for and will move out by end of the month and vacate the apartment. I did this assuming they will keep their word and let me go when I ask for. I have paid all the rents so far including the current month and even offered them to keep my deposit (that way this would cover an additional months rent). Can I not pay the remaining 3 month rent based on the fact that they violated the terms of the lease in the first place and if power was turned off that would have made the apartment inhabitable. Would that violation end the lease and/or gives me the right not to pay rent, especially now that I will be vacating the apartment. I have paid the rent for the current month and even offered them to keep my deposit.
Appreciate any advice/suggestions.
Rous