I only signed the last page of my lease w/ landlord, since he has changed it, can i get out of my lease?

Question

My roomates and I live in california. we signed a lease about 4 months ago. it was a home made lease and we only signed the last page, and initialed no where. (dosnt that mean only the last page is valid) In the past I had to initial or sign every page. can i get out of my lease because of this?? I am asking becuase he has changed it since we signed it (we never got a copy by the way) . also he lied to us about the house, for example "this house is very well insulated"..its not at all. if anyone can give me some advice i would really appreciate it

Answer 1

I'm not a lawyer, and I don't know California law...much less the law in your county or city. So this isn't legal advice. However...

A contract is perfectly valid even if only the last page is signed. So long as you agreed in writing, and it's verifiable, it's valid. (I know that's a big overstatement, for those who know law. There has to be consideration; the contract must not contain provisions that violate local law, etc. The question was whether a single signature was sufficient to make it legal. It is.)

No, you can't get out of the lease because of that.

Next: You say he's changed the lease since you signed it and you never got a copy of the lease. First, why not? Second, ask for a copy now. Third, how will you be able to prove that he changed the lease after you signed? Fourth, do the changes materially affect the content of the lease (or were they minor corrections, such as the spelling of words)?

It's possible (and a lawyer familiar with local law could tell you) that the lease is invalid for any number of reasons. For instance, there might be a requirement that you be provided a copy of all signed documents. Or maybe its provisions regarding security deposits or penalties for late payment violate your city or county regulations. If it was a "home made" lease, there's a much greater chance of it having some element invalidating the document than if the document were professionally written. But to determine that, you need a copy, and you need to see a lawyer.

As for statements like "This house is very well insulated," that's difficult to prove. In real estate, that's called "puffing." Stretching the truth, but retaining some element of defense in there. Or maybe he really does think the house is well insulated. Further, we come back to the problem of trying to prove what he said. What was in writing? That's really what counts.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

It is bad that he is acting weird.   Do you have any reason why. Does someone else want the home.  Anyway, the landlord must , by law, give you a copy of the lease.  If he doesn't , you go to the nearest courthouse and fill out a paper saying that he has 10 days to give you a copy.  If he doesn't you are free.  If he does, you have to stay.   You can not leave just because you didn't get a copy. .