How to Get Out of an Apartment Lease Due to a Rude Roommate

Loud or messy roommates can turn a good apartment into a bad one.

Even if you have found the apartment of your dreams, a rude roommate can ruin everything. You may find that you are kept up at all hours of the night or that you are constantly surrounded by his mess. Instead of suffering through the term of your lease, consider how to get out of it instead. While leases are legally binding, there are circumstances that allow you to get out of them. Examine your options and see how you can get into a better place, both physically and mentally.

Instructions

1. Have someone take over your lease. This is more complex than a sublet, where you are still on the lease but the new occupant pays you the rent, but it takes you off the lease without any loss of money for you or the landlord. Put up notices in your area and also online to find the right candidates.

2. Inspect your apartment for flaws. If there is something that was not in the apartment that was promised in the lease, speak to your landlord about it and see if you can get out of the lease. If they have not delivered on previous agreements, it is a legitimate thing to ask to be released from the contract.

3. Negotiate a move-out fee with your landlord. In some cases, you may simply lose the security deposit, while in others there is a penalty.

4. Trade apartments. Landlords are much more likely to let you out of a lease in one of their apartments if you immediately sign up for another one. If the problem is with the rude roommate rather than with the building or apartment itself, you may be able to move into another apartment with minimal fuss.

5. Pay for the remaining months on the lease and move out. This is by far the most expensive option, but if you truly cannot live with your roommate, this is the most sure way to get out of the lease.

Tips & Warnings

• Be frank with your landlord. If the landlord is a private owner, he or she might be willing to let you out of the lease if you are honest and forthright.

References

• Oh My Apartment: How to Break a Lease
• Lawyers.com: Terminating or Ending a Residential Lease