How Can I Get Out of My Apartment Lease?

When you sign by the "X" on your apartment lease, you have committed yourself to a long-term contract. Like any contract, if you breach the agreement you are leaving yourself open to be sued by your landlord or charged steep fees for breaking the lease. However, there are a few ways that you may be able to get out of your apartment lease early without expensive consequences.

Talk to Your Landlord

Landlords are in the business of renting property because they need to make money, but they are still human. If you need to get out of an apartment lease for a compelling reason, such as a marriage, a new job that requires you to relocate or another major life change, go into your landlord's office and speak to him face to face about your situation. At the very least, you may be able to negotiate paying a lower amount than what is defined in the original agreement for the early lease termination fee.

If you are approaching the end of your lease, ask if you can just forfeit your security deposit as compensation (in addition to your final rent payment) for having to leave your apartment early. Get any agreement that you make with the landlord in writing.

Find Another Qualified Renter

The landlord must make a reasonable attempt to find another renter for the apartment after you break the lease, but you can make her job easier by finding a qualified renter to take the slot yourself before you move. Ask your reliable friends and family members if they are looking for a new apartment. If you are a student, place a posting on public message boards for other students about the available apartment. If the new person's credit and background check out to the landlord's satisfaction, the landlord may agree to simply transfer your lease over to the new applicant.

Subleasing

If your landlord allows it, consider subleasing (also called subletting) the apartment to another person so that you can move on. When you sublease, you are taking on the role of the landlord with another person. Find a trustworthy person, agree on terms (such as monthly rent, length of stay, and whether the furniture will stay in the apartment) and draw up a leasing agreement, which both you and the subletter must sign.

References

• "How To Sublet Your Apartment" Apartment Ratings August 23rd, 2006
• "Breaking Your Lease on a Rented Unit" RentLaw
• "How to Get Out of Your Lease" Prairie State Legal Services

Resources

• Your Rights as a Renter
• Tenant Rights by State

[johnrapp]

on 10/9/2009 Great info, this helps a lot.