If I signed a lease and they wrote the wrong rent amount can they make me sign a new lease or evict me?

I went into the office to sign an lease and the lady who was not the property manager but her assistant, changed the rent amount due to me not having to pay a pet fee anymore. I initialed it and so did she, and then the assistant signed the lease and so did I. She called and wants me to go into the office to sign a NEW lease with a higher rent amount. What can they do if I DON't sign a new one?

I agree with Tom T. I'm a landlord AND an attorney, and while you may not legally be forced to sign a new lease, as your landlord I would explain to you that you knew very well that you had to pay an additional pet fee, and you acknowledge that you should be paying that higher amount but for my assistant's honest error.

Therefore, what I'd probably end up doing is looking for every opportunity to be a stickler on the rules. If your cat/dog steps a paw out of line, if your party gets a bit too loud, etc. If you want to slide through the cracks on your rent because "technically" you don't have to pay more, I'd be looking for every "technicality" to show you the pendulum can swing both ways. It's just human nature.

It's just like an employer - while there are certainly things they can't legally fire you for, if an employer wants to get rid of you, they can usually find a legal way of doing it.

The bottom line is, you're not setting a very good precedent for a positive, constructive relationship with your landlord if you know you should be paying more but you're taking advantage of an honest error. The mature, honest thing to do would be to sign the modified lease. I'd let them know, however, that legally you don't have to, but you're trying to "do the right thing." As a landlord, I'd then feel like I really needed to cut you some slack when other stuff happened (like your rent is a day or two late).
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You have not retained my services as an attorney, and I am not representing you in any manner. Nothing I have written is to be construed as legal advice. If you have questions about your legal issues, it is strongly recommended that you consult with an attorney who is admitted to practice in the state where you reside.

Nope. You won that one.

NO NEED YOU HAVE A LEGAL BINDING CONTRACT, DO NOT DO A THING. UNLESS CONTACTED BY AN ATTORNEY.

I'm not a lawyer but I am a landlord. As I understand it if you have a copy of the lease you signed with the lower rent then that's what you will pay. Just keep in mind that they can get very sticky about every other condition in your lease. They may at the slightest violation give you a 10 notice. You then have to correct the violation or face eviction. Make sure the lower rent is saving you enough money to cover potential headaches that might occur.

I think you have solid grounds for making them explain what they did in a formal court of law and having it ruled on by a judge. You didn't alter the lease without their express knowledge, they even initialed it for you as proof. I'd say "Take me to court!" On the other hand, life could become very cumbersome for you while you live there. Something to think about. Is the higher rent worth all the fuss? If you're talking a "significant" amount then I'd look for another place and put them on notice, formally, as to why.

If you signed the lease after you and the assistant property manager, as the agent of the property manager or owner, initialed it, that stands as the legal contract. It sounds like someone got into trouble and is trying to cover her tracks! You may want to see if your city has a board or organization for dealing with these types of complaints to get a third party to resolve it for you. You may also want to check with the BBB or other business organizations in the area to see if this has been an issue in the past with this property management group.