I’m in Texas. I recently renewed my apartment lease. The renewal offer I received showed a much lower rent than I had been paying, and the lease I signed (which the landlord also signed) reflected that same amount. I had signed an offer acceptance the day before the lease was issued, and it also matched the lower amount, though it’s obviously far below market rate.
Now the landlord is saying the lease was a mistake and is asking me to amend it to higher rent.
What are my rights in this situation? Would negotiating concessions for a new lease potentially weaken my position in court?
I have no intention to resign after this renewal expires.
Location: Texas
Comments
If it’s a clear mistake, a clear typo, then you don’t really have a leg to stand on. Contracts have to include “meeting of the minds” meaning that both parties agree to the terms and the paperwork is just memorializing that.
> It is widely accepted that courts may correct drafting mistakes, i.e., so-called scrivener’s errors, if and only if such mistakes are “absolutely clear.”
And:
> Would negotiating concessions for a new lease weaken my position in potential court?
Could you expand what you mean here, by both “concessions” and “in potential court”?
How much was your old rent and what is the new amount? These answers can help show if it might be considered a scriveners error.
For examples: intended/old 3,200
New 3,30 or 2,300 could be argued easily as errors.
It is not this simple as other fact based evidence can come into play.
Look up scriveners errors. Typos can be fixed.