A Landlord I Didn’t Even Rent From Is Trying To Sue Me For Damages

Location: New Jersey

Back in November I looked at an apartment in NJ and decided at the time not to move forward with it because I wanted to browse other options. I emailed the landlord in December to look at the unit again because I couldn’t find anything and it seemed like the best option. I applied to the apartment and once I did the landlord went radio silent, answering seldomly, if at all. She said she would rent the unit to me, but never provided a move-in date other than specifying in email that the unit would be ready by January 1.

I followed up for a lease on three separate occasions each time she said she would send it that evening. I let her know when my current lease was expiring in text and again via voicemail. Almost a month after applying she texted me again asking if a few days before Jan 15th would be good for a move-in and I said sure, knowing I had to be out of my current residence by the 13th. In hindsight I should’ve ran, but I needed somewhere to live.

She went radio silent again and midweek I decided this was getting sketchy and she probably wasn’t going to send the lease. I acquired temporary housing and moved my things into storage. A week after she last reached out she sent a lease out of the blue, 36 hours before the proposed move in date. I responded as quickly as I could that I would not be moving forward.

She immediately sent me paragraphs of texts telling me she and her husband are lawyers and they’re approaching this in good faith, blah blah but they are demanding the pro rated rent because I backed out the day before move in. She also went on about how I was careless in not providing more notice to her and that she accommodated an early move in for me knowing my lease was up Jan 15 (I have in writing to her it was Jan 13). She then sent me a letter demanding the prorated rent and if I don’t pay her she outlined the complaint she’s filing with small claims court for almost $5000.

She’s saying I agreed to the January 15th move in but there’s literally no evidence of that. She said a few days before, which in my mind was January 12. I also never gave a deposit, the terms of the lease and the rent amount is nowhere in writing. Was this whole thing a scam? Is there any legal basis for this demand letter?