Landlord asked them to leave 5 weeks after moving in claiming rising taxes — until one clause in their 12-month lease turned the tables

Getting an eviction notice is stressful enough. Getting one just weeks after signing a 12-month lease is another story—especially when the landlord's own contract appears to stand in the way. When Asia Mayo (@asiarenise_) received an unforeseen eviction notice from her landlord, she had no choice but to hire an attorney. In what seemed like a breach of contract on his part, the landlord cited rising taxes to force them out of the house before the lease was completed. In a May 15, 2026 Instagram post, Mayo described how a statement in the lease contract prompted the landlord to reverse the decision.

Unforeseen breach of contract

Mayo had moved into this house on March 1, on a 12-month contract. At the end of the month, she paid the rent. But after about five to six weeks, she received an unexpected phone call from her landlord, who told her that she needed to vacate the house. The landlord said they needed her to move out because rising property taxes had changed their plans for the property. Mayo reread the lease but couldn't find any provision allowing the landlord to terminate the 12-month agreement early if they decided to sell the property.

Weight lifted off the shoulders

When left with no other choice, Mayo reached out to an attorney, requesting a demand letter to be drafted. The attorney went through her lease agreement, drafted a letter, and sent it to the landlord. The attorney determined that the landlord had breached the lease and said Mayo could be entitled to compensation, including one or two months of rent, her security deposit, and moving expenses. A week later, the landlord called Mayo back with a surprising update: she could stay in the house. “A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders! We still aren’t 100% comfortable in the home, but we are doing our best to get there,” Mayo shared.

Millions are forced out of their homes

Evictions remain a widespread source of housing instability in the US. According to the Eviction Lab's preliminary analysis of 2025 data, landlords filed 1.23 million eviction cases across the locations tracked by its Eviction Tracking System, which covers roughly one-third of the nation's renter households. The average eviction filing rate across those locations was 8%, meaning landlords filed roughly one eviction case for every 13 renter households.

Calling a lawyer changed everything

Viewers praised Mayo’s brains for reaching out to a lawyer in the nick of time. @april.iroberts commented, “They thought they had Uno, then you dropped that draw 4 on them.” @wlt_747 said, “After that ordeal I would definitely move out at the end of that lease.” @w3_want_3azy added, “They were going to back door and rent it to someone else at a higher rate.”

You can follow Asia Mayo (@asiarenise_) on Instagram for lifestyle content.

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