Comments on: What Is The Penalty For Breaking An Apartment Lease Early?

By: Farmer John

Farmer John — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:36:14 +0000

It should be in the contract.
But one time I ran out on one 8 months early and nothing happened.
Change your bank account if they have it.

By: David Z

David Z — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:35:17 +0000

You owe for all the months until December of 2009 that landlord cannot rent it, plus his costs to re advertise it.
There is no penalty. You just have to pay as promised.

By: Pandas4m

Pandas4m — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:52:34 +0000

there usually are penatlies, you need to read your lease agreement to know exactly what it says. you may also want to talk to the manager to see if you can work something out.

By: Jay R

Jay R — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:08:54 +0000

Depends. It will be specified in your lease.
Could potentially sue you to collect all lost rent. May just charge you one month’s rent or keep the security deposit.
Breaking a lease isn’t good though so avoid if possible.
If you can, try to sublease the apartment to someone else for the remainder of the term.

By: The Man_agement

The Man_agement — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:57:53 +0000

You might consider signing a sub lease with someone else (ie a friend or family member who might be looking for a place to live for the next 6 months). You’d have to make sure it’s someone you trust, obviously, but you may be able to minimize the damage that way, even if it means you take a small hit on the lease each month.
If you need a lease agreement, there are some sites online that will help you build one for your state and circumstances. I personally like EZ Landlord Forms, but there are probably others as well.
Best of luck, and as a final note, beware that even if you find a way to “get away” with not having to pay the property management company for the due rent, it could still hurt your credit. Just a thought.
Best of luck to you!

By: Paul in San Diego

Paul in San Diego — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:13:46 +0000

A well prepared lease agreement should describe the penalty for breaking a lease early. This can be anything from the cost of missed rent while the landlord finds a new tenant and all costs associated with obtaining a new tenant, to the tenant being completely responsible for all monthly payments for the entire term of the lease. And, sometimes it’s just a set fee. But, you can be assured that you can kiss your deposit goodbye, at least.
Usually, you can negotiate with the landlord some charge for breaking the lease that’s fair to both parties. Check your lease for a clause discussing breaking the lease and, if it’s not addressed there, talk with your landlord.

By: jessalex

jessalex — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:17:53 +0000

I’ve broken a lease many times and usually the penalty is just one months rent. They usually just keep your deposit for that but sometimes they might want to keep the deposit and want you to pay an additional months rent.