It may seem like yesterday when you were moving into your new apartment. At the time, you were probably excited and looking forward to a fresh start. Unfortunately, sometimes things don’t always pan out the way we want them to. If you’re in a tough spot and you need to break your leasing agreement, it can be both stressful and overwhelming. Thankfully, we’re here to help you out. Here are some proven tips.
Read Over Your Lease Carefully
We know that the moving process can be a hectic one. From packing boxes to hiring professional movers, it’s understandable if you didn’t have enough time to read your lease as thoroughly as you should’ve. However, now that you’re looking for an out, it’s essential that you spend some time combing through it in search of an early termination clause. What exactly is an early termination clause? In essence, this breaks down some options that you may have to break your lease. In some agreements, the tenant can end the lease after paying some fees and foregoing their security deposit. In other leasing agreements, the tenant may have to pay a few months of rent before they are agreed to terminate the lease. Make sure that you read over your lease to give yourself some peace of mind.
Talk to Your Landlord
Communication is key in every relationship. The one you have with your landlord is no exception. If you’ve maintained a good relationship with your landlord/management since you moved in, you should approach this conversation with the utmost confidence. During this chat, it’s essential that you are vulnerable and honest. After all, if you simply no longer want the responsibility of paying monthly, that isn’t a sufficient reason ti break a lease. Did you lose your job? If so, just explain this and say you need to move in with a friend of family member for a few months. Or maybe your romantic relationship is ending and you need to move out right away to avoid domestic violence. No matter the case, you should always be as straight up as possible and try to negotiate with your landlord.
Come Up with a Solution
What’s the easiest way to get what you want? Instead of just presenting a problem, do some background work and come up with a solution as well. In other words, when you ask to break your lease, let your landlord know that you already have someone willing to take your place and rent the apartment once you move out. Of course the new tenant will have to undergo background and credit checks to get approved, but if you can present a potential tenant/tenants right away, this only improves the odds that your landlord will agree and let you out of the leasing agreement.
Understand What’s at Stake
A lease shouldn’t be taken lightly. It is a legally binding agreement that you signed. This means that if you violate the terms of your agreement, your landlord could go after you in court for the funds they are owed. Additionally, breaking your lease can lead to your credit score being affected and this can make it hard for you to get a new apartment or buy a home in the future. So while breaking your lease may seem challenging for all of the reasons discussed above, try to remember the residual impact it can have on your future as well.
We hope that these tips help you get out of your least with minimal stress. Be sure to check back with us for more tips on all things moving.