I have had my truck broken into/wheels stolen 3 times in the parking garage at my current apartment in Midtown Houston. This is on top of the many apartment break-ins in the complex. I have tried talking to management about getting out of my lease which runs to July (ready to buy a house anyway) but they won't work with me. I have left a message with Camden's corporate office. Has anyone else successfully negotiated out of their lease without paying penalties?

Some have a reletting fee of one extra months rent, or other buy out. My TAA lease did. Plus of course, losing your deposit.

yikes...that's terrible.

Which Camden is it?

Camden Travis Street

if you want to break the lease. start documenting and then take them to court. You need a judge to declare the contract void.

It probably means taking them to court for the lack of security.

They have a single video camera at the entrance/exit which they allude to when I mention these issues, but the on site HPD officer and apartment manager both admitted today that you cannot even get a face or license plate number from the cars driving through rendering the cameras useless. Just took the dogs out at 11pm and the main gate is once again stuck open. My calls to the corporate manager have gone unreturned.

Pretty sure there is a drug dealer living on the first floor. And while I was filing a police report on my vehicle this morning, I had about 5 people stop to tell me they had also had theirs broken into, including one person who said they were one of the apartments that had been robbed. They took the front wheels on another car last night as well. Neighbor found a homeless guy sleeping in the trash chute closet recently. And someone tried to break into the storage closet next to my apartment.

I advise against living Camden Travis St.

Can I suggest some other apartments? I'm a broker and do apartment stuff sometimes on the side for friends and family. My email is in my profile.

Don't pay the reletting fee. That fee is usually 85% of a months rent and they tell you it gets you out.

But keep in mind, that you are still on the hook for your rent every month until they fill the unit. And they are going to fill every other unit first.

Use it as a LAST RESORT and nothing else.

With the rents these guys are getting for their matchstick "luxury" complexes you would think they could notch up security a bit.

^

Agreed.

take them to court. file in the local JP

First- indicate to your landlord that you want to be released from lease based on X Y and Z.

then

go to the JP of your area and file a suit against your landlord for breach of contract. The court cost will be $40-$50 [which you can get paid by defendant if you win]. You are suing for damages to vehicle and any other expenses you have incurred based on their lack of security (breach of contract). You will have a court date set. You will need to document X Y and Z.


JP courts are usually for small claims less than $15000. You can request a jury trial (which I would).

In my experience, many lease contracts do not imply a safe and secure environment. Can you still sue to be released if there is no warranty given?

state law does

Just let them know it would be a lot easier and more cost effective for them to just release you of your lease than the damage you intend to do on every apartment review site, social media forum, BBB, JP, HPD, etc.