Anyone ever break a lease?

Just curious. Our landlord is (moderately understandably) being a total dick to me right now. I informed her I got a new job offer and have to move within two weeks, asked what our options are. She basically said we have to pay the rent through September whether we are there or not or buyout the contract which is 2500 (yeah, right!). Otherwise we will get "penalized," which I assume is a nice way of saying they will sue us. I get that it's a legal contract, but they have a waiting list to get into these apartments so I don't understand why they can't just have someone else move in. I offered to find a new tenant before we left to take over the lease and I am waiting to hear back. Hopefully they just let me do that. Argh!! Have I mentioned that I HATE moving!? Plus I have to put in my two weeks notice todya and it's going to suck

I hope it works out for ya! Sucks that the landlady had to rain on your parade eh!!!

Yes it does! I get it, it's a legal contract - but c'mon, let me catch a break already! I know they could get another person to move in almost immediately so they wouldn't be losing rent. They'd actually be making more money because we pay a locked in price for rent and the rent has gone up twice so we pay less than we should!

No way out most times, we were paying two rent checks a month for the first few months when we moved.

My supervisor's son just had a similar thing happen to him(except he lost his job and couldn't afford to pay rent)...and he was able to work out a deal with them to rent out the apartment to someone else for the remainder of his lease. He may have had a more understanding landlord though. Good luck with it!

What does your contract say? Usually isn't it just that you don't get your deposit back?

I say rent it out yourself as a sub-lease for the remainder of your lease with them - if you can.

Growing up scares me...

Yeah, I broke my lease when I lived in SD. I had to pay two months' rent because I got out of the Navy early. Sucked, but it was worth it to go home.

They basically told me if I find someone to take the lease we are good, which is what I had to do with our last apartment -- posted it on Cragislist, showed it, got rid of it in three days. So hopefully this one goes as fast! If we can't find anyone, they try to get someone in asap and bill us later for the rent accrued while the house is vacant. But we don't have to pay it all at once -- the girl said as long as we pay something on it every month they really don't care, haha. So I guess we are good either way!

Good. Glad it'll work out without some huge bill thrown in your face.