Featured News 2013 Breaking a Lease to Move for Work

Breaking a Lease to Move for Work

With the touch and go economy, there are many people who are struggling to find work or even maintain employment because our companies are continuing to decrease in size and save money wherever they can. However, when our companies suffer, the employees suffer and therefore it becomes a vicious circle of unpaid bills and joblessness. Perhaps you have been without work for a while, and you have been applying to jobs all over the country hoping for an opportunity. Opportunity has finally come knocking, and you have been officially hired for a new job. Across the country. While everything about your life is in line to move and begin your new career accept for one detail holding you back, your leasing agreement on your home. Unfortunately, a lease is a legal contract, and in most cases moving for work is not considered to be a valid reason for breaking your lease.

There are certain situations for which a landlord will allow for a tenant to terminate their lease early, such as medical complications or to enable them to move into an elder care facility for assisted living. Another possible exception is in the event the tenant enlists to serve in the United States military. They are required by federal law to give notice to their landlord to about the early termination. As a tenant it is important to have an understanding of the legal obligations you have made that are associated with your lease agreement, and acknowledge the fact that terminating your lease is no easy feat. The tenant is obligated to pay for rent for the property for a designated amount of time, no matter what. With the landlord, the tenant reached an agreement upon the start of the contract and therefore it is their obligation to pay the monthly installments for the amount they agreed upon. In the event that you decide to break your lease, you will be legally required to pay the landlord the rent that you owe for the remainder of the leasing period.

Due to the complexity of this process, having a skilled real estate lawyer on your side is crucial, to protect you from being sued from the landlord. If you terminate your lease, the landlord needs to find a new tenant at the fair market price, and if you still live on the property it is your moral responsibility to show the place to potential leasers. However, if the landlord decides that they want to sue you, and yet they have done nothing to find a new tenant, most courts will not find that a favorable move on their part and will not make you pay the remaining balance on the lease contract. If they do find a new tenant, you are then only responsible for paying the lease during the time the property remained vacant or on the market rather than the extra year that you owed, for example.

If you want to try and avoid the costs of paying for the time when the property is vacant, you can also try and find a new tenant on your own to essentially sign the lease over to. It is important to know that even if you approve of your choice, the landlord is under no responsibility to allow them to be the new tenant. Lastly, there is also the option for you to negotiate with your landlords, and this is encouraged to be done with the help of your lawyer. You may offer to pay an extra month of rent in order to allow for the landlord time to find a new tenant in agreement that you are able to break the contract. However it is essential that these terms are agreed upon in writing so that in the event the landlord attempts to sue you in the future, you are protected.

Contact a trusted real estate lawyer in your area today using our website!

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