One of the things that folks who live in an apartment often boast about is the fact that they’re not tied down. If they want to move to another town tomorrow, they can do it a heck of a lot easier than someone who owns their own house. While this is true, the fact remains that renters do need to deal with the lease.
The lease is a legally binding contract between the renter and the landlord. Breaking a lease is a breach of contract. Now, your reasons for breaking the least might be very valid. Maybe you’ve been offered a job in another city. Maybe you’re getting married, or maybe you’re getting a divorce. Regardless, you’re breaking a contract and need to be aware of the consequences.
Having said all of that, there are some ways you can get out of a lease with few or no penalties. It really depends on the terms of your lease agreement, of course, as well as the laws in your state or area. Some circumstances will let you break a lease with little penalty. Here are some of them:
- There is serious damage to the apartment. If your apartment has been damaged (through no fault of your own) to the point where it’s not livable, you can usually break your lease. Natural disasters and vandalism often qualify here, as does damage caused by your landlord’s negligence. Of course, you’ll still need your renters insurance to replace all of the contents of your apartment that were damaged in the process.
- You’re called up for military service. If you are in the reserves, National Guard or some other military unit and you sign your lease before you’re called up for active duty, the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act says that landlords can’t hold you to your lease for being called up. Some individual states also have laws that will let you break a lease because you’ve been stationed somewhere else.
- You need to move into an assisted living facility. If you’ve had an injury or you become ill enough to where you can’t live on your own, some states have laws that let you break a lease as long as you’re moving into some sort of a nursing care or assisted living facility.
There may be other situations, too, such as if your landlord doesn’t keep up on maintenance. Just make sure you keep good records if you want to break your lease for that reason, because chances are you’re going to have to prove it in court.
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