How to Break Your Apartment Lease

If you are currently renting or leasing a home or apartment in the USA you more than likely have a lease agreement with your landlord. Most lease agreements last for a term of 1 year however, it can vary depending on the terems you agreed apon. If you need to get out of your lease early these are some ways that you can break the lease.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. First, check your lease. If you can't find your copy ask your landlord for a copy. Find your terms. If you have a year to year lease check the date at which the lease expires. If you have a month to month lease, you will be able to leave your home at the end of the month, any month as long as you give your landlord notice.

2. Medical Reason, some leases have a clause for medical reasons. If you or someone in your immediate family becomes ill you may be released from your lease. Even if you don't have this clause you might want to talk to your landlord and explain your situation.

3. If the landlord is entering your home without previous notice. Your landlord by law is permitted to enter the property. However, you as a tentant have certain right also. The landlord is not permitted to enter the home if one, there is no emergency and two, you did not have prior knowledge. The landlord must have legal good cause to enter without your knowledge. An example of this would be a fire, or someone calling for help. You as a tenant must permit the landlord access whenever he/she requests as long as you are told ahead of time.

4. Now this one is not legal for you to do. And that is eviction. If you are not paying your rent you will be evicted. However this does not get you off the hook for your remaining rent. The landlord can still sue you for the remaining lease if he/she can not find someone to rent the home in your place. This way could be a messy legal battle and I don't suggest anyone try this.

5. Your landlord refuses to fix the home. By this I mean only the items in your home that are classified a nessisity. Busted water lines, no heat, mold, faulty electric etc. would be examples of these. It is your right as a tenant to live and rent a home that meets US standards. So if your home has problems like this, you will first need to contact your landlord in writing. If the problems are not fixed within a reasonable amount of time you can legally abandon the home and be out of your lease.

6. Racial or crude comments. If your landlord makes racial comments against you or another person in your home or expresses sexual slurs you may be able to get out of your lease if you can prove it. Under the Fair Housing Law a landlord is not permitted to discriminate or violate a person based on their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age over 40, handicap, use of support animals, or familiar status.

7. And finally if you live in an apartment building ad you have noticed that the landlord has segregated the apartments this may be terms for you to leave. An example of this would be all whites on the right side of the building and all blacks on the left. Or only allowing Muslims to rent 7th floor apts. Notice if you live in an apartment like this know that it may be intentional however weither pre-meditated or not it is illegal.

Tips & Warnings

• If you break your lease, you could be sued by the landlord.
• Always seek legal advise.

Resources

• Realtor.org

[johnrapp]

on 10/9/2009 Interesting info. Thanks!

[liebenchien]

on 8/1/2009 Always check your spelling before posting an article, it makes you seem a little more knowledgable when there are no spelling errors in your article.