Unable to return keys to apartment owner.

[nlaruccia]

I'm in the strangest situation I've ever been while renting an apartment in Buenos Aires. I decided to break the contract and move to another apartment. I left the owner know a few weeks in advance and we agreed that she would remain with the deposit. I moved in the beginning of May and we discussed over the phone to meet this weekend so that I could give her they keys to the apartment back. She never had the telephone bills sent to my apartment and I owe her for that. We were going to go over the bills while going through her apartment and I would reimburse her. She never called me back to arrange a meeting time so I sent a formal email, then a text message letting her know that I had sent her an email and still no response. I assume she doesn't really care about getting the keys back; considering during my stay for several years she was practically non-existant. I don't want to leave the keys with the building encargado and know that I must return them and get a boleto de devolucion de llaves so that I can't be sued in the future. At this point I think I will have to send a carta documento or telegrama to her notifying her I've moved out and to meet me so that I can return her keys. I'm not sure what the difference between a telegrama and carta documento is and which has more legal validity. Has anyone else ever been in such an odd calamity?

 

[nikad]

You have to send the landlord a carta documento asap asking her to take back the keys and terminate the contract as agreed. This will prevent her to sue you in the future. Go here, they are cheap and reliable http://www.inquilinos.org.ar/

 

[nlaruccia]

Thanks for the posting the link to the website. I'm going to peruse it right now.

 

[el_expatriado]

Send the carta documento to inform that you have left the apartment and that you will meet outside the building on XXX date at XXX time to return the keys to the owner.

You need to get a paper signed by the owner saying you returned the keys. That is the only thing that will end your rental contract early. It doesn't matter if they already have another set of keys. You need that paper signed to prove you left the apartment.