How to Break a Lease Without Damaging Your Credit
It's possible to break a lease without damaging your credit. Although leases are legal binding agreements and early termination can have consequences, credit damage depends on whether your landlord seeks a judgment or reports the eviction to the credit bureaus. Landlords have the legal right to receive unpaid rent from those who break their lease. But fortunately, there are ways to negotiate with landlords and avoid credit damage.
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Instructions
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Request release from your rental lease. Certain situations such as illness, divorce, relocation or loss of employment can move landlords to allow early termination without damaging your credit. Meet with landlords, explain the problem and simply ask to break your lease.
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Locate someone to move into your apartment. Mention to your landlord that you found someone who may qualify to take over the apartment and pay the monthly rent. Having a new tenant on standby may prompt your landlord to release you from the rent obligation.
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Pay the rental balance. Keep your credit in good shape and maintain a good relationship with your landlord by paying off the remaining lease balance.
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Make rental payments until someone rents your apartment. Landlords don't want to lose income, and they seek unpaid rent monies for this reason. Rather than impulsively moving, agree to stay until your landlord approves a new tenant.
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Sublet to avoid credit damage. As a last resort, secure a new tenant on your own and have this person live in the apartment for the remainder of the lease term. This person sends rental payments to you, and you forward monies to the landlord.
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