Taking over someones flat

[admylin]

We have been searching for a flat for months now. Thought we had found one last week but turned it down as it was too expensive.

I had an advert in the local paper a few month back and a woman called and said she would be leaving her place as they had built their own house, so we viewed it and would have loved to have taken it. The woman gave us the number of the owner and told us to get in touch which we were just about to do (the next day) when she rang to say she had to stay in her place longer as her house wasn't quite ready.

Just by chance I asked her this week how things were going and she said if I was still interested, her house is ready and she would like to move in December although her contract is until January - I don't mind either way, December or January both good for me so she said she'd ask the owner. Now a week later she still hasn't spoken to the owner as she says she doesn't like her and it's because she's foreign etc ... and I don't really understand but she said they had some sort of dispute and she's worried about her deposit.

What would you do? I have the number of the owner so should I just phone her myself? It all sounds complicated but I think it all comes from this woman. We're in Germany by the way and the woman is a German-Russian and she thinks no one likes her because of this and because she and her dh don't have good jobs.

Big flats like this are really hard to find in the area too so I want to be careful about what I say but I also want the flat!

[AMumInScotland]

I would phone the owner - legally, it's up to the owner whether you can take on the lease when the current person leaves, so it's them you need to speak to. The owner should know if the woman has given notice or not, and might start looking for another tenant if he/she doesn't know there's someone already interested.

[admylin]

You're right I will try to get in touch with the owner.

The woman has handed in notice - it's a 3 month notice law on flats in Germany so she knows and has to hand in keys on 1st of January but she would of course rather be in her new place before Christmas. I need to find out as I would then hand in notice on our tiny flat and also try to get a new tenant maybe to take over atleast January (double rent, great at this time of year)

[LIZS]

tbh it might be worth avoiding getting involved in a sublet and just wait until her elase has expired. Contact the landlord direct and offer to take it on as and when . If she really wants to leave sooner he may then offer her the chance.