Your company may have transferred you somewhere else or your girlfriend is calling you or you have lost your job and the luxury of the apartment is not affordable anymore. Whatever the reason is, you have to break the lease. How to do it? Take a sigh of relief, you are at the right place at the right time.

The agreement which you signed before moving to the rental is an obligation you and your landlord set for one year. Once you have signed the lease, you are bound to pay a monthly rent for the specified period. So, if you want to break the lease, adopt one of the following strategies:

Find Another Tenant

Your landlord needs monthly rent and it doesn’t matter who pays it. If you can find another reliable tenant, NYC laws allow you to break the lease. However, the landlord has a final say here. If he/she refuses the tenant, you can’ do anything but to convince him/her.

Ask To Be Set Free

This is the simplest thing to do. Tell the truth to your landlord why you want to leave, chances are he/she will let you go with ease. According to Real Estate experts, this trick can work if the rental market is hot.

Compromise

If your landlord declines your initial request, it’s time to monetize your lease breakage. Offer him/her an amount which you can afford. Based on your relationship with the landlord, chances are he/she will let you go.

If none of these strategies work, be ready to be penalized. Normally, lease-breaking costs 1-3 months of rent. And some agreements require you forfeit the security deposit. We recommendyou to establish a flexible relationship with your landlord, so you might be able to reach an agreement that doesn’t cost you much. Last but not the least, make sure you document the termination of the agreement that you and your property-owner have both agreed to end the lease.

Read this detailed article on how to get out of a lease early without penalty.