Need some tips on how to break free from a bad lease? Check out our advice on Boston.com. (Note: This article is no longer available on their platform) Our advice appeals to those searching in Boston, but also applies to New York City and Chicago renters.
Boston.com Article
We’ve highlighted one of our quotes from the article:
“Despite all your careful efforts, you simply can’t uncover everything you need to know about an apartment before signing the lease. No amount of due diligence and number of visits can fully uncover your neighbors’ strange habits or the super’s apathy towards your nonfunctional heater.
Renting an apartment is supposed to be a temporary, one or two year commitment, but sometimes even that is too long. Lee Lin, chief executive of RentHop, offered advice on breaking your lease.” – from Boston.com
Advice for Renters
If you’re rented an apartment and realize a couple of months in that your living situation will not work out longer-term, you may need to break your lease. You can submit your intent to break the lease to your landlord or management company, and then follow their steps for finding a replacement tenant, and potentially paying a fine (one to two month’s of rent) to get out of the lease. Depending on how long you have left on your agreement, it may make more sense to wait until the end of your lease.
Impacts
Before you break free from a bad lease, consider how this impacts your ability to find a new apartment. The lease break can lower your credit score, and you likely will not receive a letter of recommendation from your current landlord.
Editor’s Note: We updated this article to enhance readability.
