Breaking lease in NC

[KarenH]

Jurisdiction

North Carolina

My daughter, granddaughter and I moved into a two bedroom apartment in Sept. We just found out my daughter is pregnant and will be getting married in January and moving in with her husband. There will not be enough room for the 5 of us. Is there a way to terminate our lease? I cannot afford to stay here on my own as I'm on disability.

 

[army judge]

Is there a way to terminate our lease?

A tenant should discuss breaking the lease with the landlord.

In most cases a landlord will allow a tenant to buy her way out of a lease.

How much?

Usually two months rent, sometimes one months rent.

I suggest you start these discussions today, and try to work out an arrangement the landlord finds financially beneficial.

Know this, unless you have a clause in your lease about breaking the lease, this can only be done if you negotiate in good faith.

If an agreement is achieved make sure you get it in writing and all parties sign and date it BEFORE you make the payments.

Try talking to the landlord, and if that doesn't work there is one other way that always works, but it has conditions and is complicated.

 

[KarenH]

This property is managed by a Property Management Company. Will that make a difference? How costly is the other way that works?

 

[mightymoose]

Your first step is to talk to the management about it. With enough notice they can probably have a new tenant ready and not have any loss with your early departure.
With a reason like yours and enough notice to prepare I would suspect they are more willing to work with you.

 

[KarenH]

Your first step is to talk to the management about it. With enough notice they can probably have a new tenant ready and not have any loss with your early departure.
With a reason like yours and enough notice to prepare I would suspect they are more willing to work with you.

Thank you!

 

[zddoodah]

Is there a way to terminate our lease?

Yes, but I doubt this is the question (or at least not the full question) that you intended to ask.

Unless the landlord agrees or your lease says otherwise, there is no way to terminate the lease without financial consequence to all of the tenants on the lease.

 

[txls]

It is really up to them whether or not they will allow you to break the lease and under what terms. It happens all the time that circumstances change and suddenly people cant afford the rent. If that were a valid reason to break a lease there would be no point in having a lease to begin with. The sooner you notify them the better, and hopefully they will be able to work with you.