The Right Way to Break a Lease
You already signed the lease...now how do you break it?
While leases aren’t made to be broken, sometimes life throws you a curveball and you need to get out of your rented apartment or house earlier than expected. Though breaking a lease can be a long and expensive process, sometimes there aren’t any other options.
There are plenty of reasons for having to break a lease. If you are getting married, or divorced, you might have to leave your home and move somewhere else. If you get a new job a distance away from where you currently live, you may have to terminate your lease before it is up and move closer. You might also want to break your lease if you are having problems with your roommate(s) or can’t stand your current apartment and just want out. Or you could simply want a change of scenery and don’t mind paying the costs of getting out of the lease.
Before attempting to break your lease though, consider all of your options. Speak to your landlord first to let them know that you are thinking of moving out. Though this won’t always be the case, there is the chance that they will be willing to let you off the hook if there are other people interested in the place. My senior year of college, my roommates and I wanted to end the lease of the house we were renting before the lease was up. Our landlord told us that he would be willing to do so, as long as we helped him find new people to live there. Although we ultimately decided to stay in the house until the term ended, the landlord was more than willing to work with us on this.
If your landlord isn’t as open to the idea, or if you live in an apartment or townhouse complex with plenty of rules and red tape, you might want to sublet your home. As long as your lease allows for subletting, you can move out without breaking the lease or paying for a home you’re not using. To find someone to sublet your place, ask friends or relatives if they are interested or post an ad for your sublet on Craigslist or any online housing board. (next page)
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