What will happen if the landlord finds damages in your apartment, which were caused by you -- i.e., your movers put a hole in a wall or your dog ripped a screen door? Your monthly rent is $1650 and your security deposit is in the same amount. If it costs the landlord $500 to make the repairs, this leaves the landlord only $1150 to be applied to your November rent.
Thus, your actions may cost the landlord to lose money. Contrary to what a lot of people believe, many landlords are not wealthy individuals, and any monetary loss they incur is significant.
You probably believe your landlord will not spend the time -- or the money -- filing a lawsuit against you for this small amount of money. This may be true. However, the landlord has this right, and one day you may find there is a judgement against you because you failed to appear in court.
More significantly, your landlord can create credit problems for you -- which problems can continue to haunt you for a number of years. The landlord can report your delinquency to credit reporting companies, and any lawsuit which is filed may also be picked up by these credit bureaus.
It is not a pleasant experience to explain to a banker or a department store -- several years after the incident -- why you failed to pay your legal rental obligations.
I cannot recommend you skip your last month's payment; it is just not worth the subsequent problems -- and hassles -- you may encounter. Also, assuming you have a conscience, you should recognize that you may have financially hurt another human being.
However, I strongly recommend you discuss the situation immediately with your landlord. He/she may be understanding, and may even be willing to give back your security deposit if the property can be rented out immediately.
The landlord-tenant relationship should be amicable. Communication between the parties is a crucial factor in determining whether the arrangement will be friendly or hostile.
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