How to Assign Your Lease

If you want to move out of property that you're renting before your lease expires, you may be able to assign your lease to another tenant - with your landlord's consent.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Notebook Papers
• Pens
• Pens

1. Notify your landlord in writing that you intend to vacate the rental unit on a specific date, and request permission to transfer the responsibilities of your lease to another tenant. (This is known as an "assignment" of your lease.)

2. Locate prospective tenants (if your landlord consents) by spreading the word among your friends and family members, posting notices on area bulletin boards, and placing classified ads in local newspapers.

3. Interview prospective tenants while showing the rental unit. See "How to Evaluate Prospective Tenants for Your Rental Property."

4. Propose to your landlord the assignment of your lease to the selected candidate; provide your landlord with detailed written information about the prospective tenant, such as employment status and financial ability to assume the lease terms.

Tips & Warnings

• Depending on the laws of your state, you may have the right to cancel the remainder of your lease if your landlord does not respond to your written request to assign your lease or if your landlord offers an "unreasonable" response to the request.
• Realize your landlord has the right to deny your request for an assignment of your lease.
• If your landlord agrees to assign the lease to your selected candidate, you relinquish all rights to the rental unit upon vacating the property.
• Since landlord-tenant laws vary from state to state, seek legal counsel before attempting to assign a lease in your state.