How to Break a Lease Early and Legally

Need to know how to break a lease without legal consequence? Here's how to get out of an apartment lease early and legally.

Updated September 12, 2024 | Written by Jana Freer
Reviewed by Susan Chai, Esq.

Breaking a lease can have significant legal repercussions, as a lease agreement is legally binding. Yet sometimes, staying in the current rental property any longer is not feasible, and an early lease termination is the only logical solution.

There are ways to get out of an apartment lease or other rental contract, and u nderstanding what happens if you break a lease will help you minimize costly ramifications that may occur if you need to get out of a lease early.

How to Break a Lease Early

These six steps will help you avoid legal consequences if you break your lease contract before the lease term ends.

Step 1 – Review Your Rental Lease Agreement

One of the first actions you should take when ending a lease early is carefully reading through your rental agreement .

Be on the lookout for answers to these critical questions:

The answers to these questions will determine whether or not it’s possible to break your lease with minimal hassle and provide you with a more robust exit strategy .

If you have a month-to-month lease, you have likely pre-paid your monthly rent, so getting out of this type of lease early poses a different set of challenges than breaking a standard lease.

Step 2 – Talk to Your Landlord or Property Manager

Communication is critical when discussing an early lease termination with a landlord. Take the following advice to heart when preparing to make your request to your landlord:

Be Open and Honest

When speaking to your landlord, state that breaking your lease is unplanned and a last resort. The best scenario is that your landlord will let you break the lease early if finding a tenant to replace you is easy.

Despite your rent payments making up a portion of their livelihood, if you honestly explain your situation to your landlord, they may sympathize and let you out of the lease early, even if the lease terms are strict.

Remember that in many states, domestic violence victims can terminate a lease early without penalty (renters may have to provide the landlord with a police report to prove domestic violence).

Give Plenty of Advance Notice

Once you decide to move out, give your landlord a notice of intent to vacate. Giving as much notice as possible will make their life easier because it will give them more time to find your replacement .

Providing enough notice could influence whether or not you and your landlord arrive at an agreeable resolution.

Step 3 – Consider Reletting or Subletting

If you’re having trouble negotiating a clean break with your landlord, consider finding a new renter to relet or sublet the property.

Finding a replacement on your own is a great way to alleviate your landlord’s fears about losing money when you move out.

Here are the differences between the two options:

Additionally, consider renting the rooms in your rental unit to cover any rent you cannot make. Instead of breaking a lease because you can’t afford the monthly rent, use our Room Rental Agreement to rent the rooms in your dwelling (with your landlord’s permission).

It’s still your landlord’s property, so making sure they approve the new tenant is fundamental.

Mitigation of Damages (Landlord’s Duty to Re-Rent):

In most states, landlords are required to make reasonable efforts to re-rent the property after a tenant breaks a lease. This is known as the duty to mitigate damages. The tenant may still be responsible for rent until a new tenant is found, but this obligation ends once the property is re-rented.

Step 4 – Use a Lease Termination Letter

If your landlord doesn’t allow reletting or subletting, you could request to end the lease with an early lease termination letter.

You’re legally allowed to vacate the premises without incurring any penalties if your landlord does anything that violates the terms of the lease agreement.

Use this strategy as a last resort if your landlord is legally culpable and unreasonable.

Verify if any of these claims are true:

If any of these situations have occurred, you have grounds to terminate your lease and may be able to file a lawsuit in small claims court.

Also, constructive eviction laws govern the situation when a landlord or property manager fails to maintain a rental unit, and the original tenant cannot use and enjoy the space.

As a tenant, you still have legally protected rights . Consult an attorney to discuss landlord-tenant laws and your rights.

Additionally, suppose you have to break a lease due to military service. In that case, you may be able to get out of your lease early without penalty (the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protects you if you are an active duty service member).

Ensure you have a written record of all questionable interactions to prove a landlord’s wrongdoing in early lease termination.

Step 5 – Pay the Remaining Rent

Once you’ve exhausted all your options, the last recourse is to pay off the rent for the remainder of your lease period.

Although it isn’t always financially feasible for most people, it’s the only guaranteed way to avoid paying the penalty for terminating a lease and the possibility of adverse credit report reporting.

If you’re worried about paying everything off immediately, discuss with your landlord the possibility of paying off the balance in installments .

For a less expensive option, try negotiating with your landlord about paying rent until one of you finds a new renter.

However, stay prepared to hand over the agreed-upon amount of cash to move out because it’s best to always plan for the worst.

Step 6 – Return of Security Deposit

Tenants are generally entitled to the return of their security deposit, minus any lawful deductions for unpaid rent or damages. The tenant should conduct a walkthrough with the landlord and document the condition of the property to avoid disputes.

Legal Reasons To Break a Lease Without a Penalty

The lease usually lasts one year and may include stipulations under which one or both parties can break the lease early. The reasons to break a lease early will vary from state to state but typically include the following:

What Happens When a Tenant Breaks a Lease Illegally

It’s essential to know the potential consequences of breaking a lease early.

While you may not have any other option but to break your lease, you may find yourself:

Resources for Renters

If you’re a renter facing challenges or uncertainties, there are numerous resources available to help you navigate your rights and find the support you need, from local tenant unions to national organizations dedicated to housing assistance.

Tenant unions – Tenant unions are great resources for tenants to determine the specific state laws or laws that govern lease terminations, evictions, and lease agreements.

It’s worth contacting a tenant union when you suspect you might have to terminate your lease early. These organizations can explain your rights and suggest additional consumer services to help your situation.

Your city or state may be able to provide resources for renters. There are also some national resources for renters, such as:

View Sources

Legal Templates uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

  1. Servicemembers Civil Relief Act - SCRA. https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/bankruptcy/bankruptcy-basics/servicemembers-civil-relief-act-scra
  2. Implied Warranty of Habitability. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/implied_warranty_of_habitability

Jana Freer

Jana Freer

Real Estate Editor

Jana Freer is a Real Estate Editor with Legal Templates, where she creates and edits legal form descriptions and articles to help landlords and tenants better understand real estate processes. She.

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