Can a home acceptance be cancelled before the agreement has been signed?

Questioner

I indicated by email that I would like to accept the house that was responded to, but now I have been offered another house closer to home that I want to accept. The lease for the first house has not yet been signed, and the appointment to sign has not yet been made/confirmed. Can I then go back on the offer without any problems?

Lawyer

The lease agreement has already been concluded there with your acceptance. You will have to terminate the lease agreement by the earliest possible date if you want to get out of it. There is no requirement for a written lease agreement to exist, so that the lease agreement has already been concluded by the offer and its acceptance. Signing the lease agreement is only a written record of the agreements made.