What if a tenant wants to break their lease?
A lease is a binding legal contract, and the tenant is responsible to keep paying the rent for the term of the lease until it re-rents. However, the landlord is supposed to make a reasonable effort to re-rent the apartment, and in a lease break situation you should keep records of where you list the apartment and how you advertise to show that you are making an effort. Fees incurred by the landlord in the process of re-renting the unit can be charged to the tenant breaking the lease. The best bet is generally to try as hard as possible to re-rent the unit and then settle up with the tenant. Some landlords include a lease break penalty as part of their lease or addendum. This is a charge added on top of rent and is meant to cover costs associated with getting the unit re-rented. Another option is to offer a tenant a buyout at a fixed price so that tenant and landlord can wash their hands of each other and move on.
