Tips and recommendations 

How can I get out of a 12 month lease?

Leia Doyle

How can I get out of a 12 month lease?

To end your tenancy in one of these ways, you must:

  1. give the landlord/agent a written termination notice and vacate – move out and return the keys – according to your notice, and/or.
  2. apply to the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) for a termination order.

How do you write a tenant to break a lease?

Contents of a Termination of Lease Letter

  1. Your name, and the landlord’s name and address.
  2. The date you’re writing the letter.
  3. Informing the landlord you’re breaking your lease early.
  4. The reason why you’re breaking your lease.
  5. The building and apartment you’re vacating.
  6. The date by which you’re vacating.

Can a tenant end a 6 month agreement early?

It would be quite unusual for a landlord to just accept a tenant ending a 6 month agreement after a few days. You have said, however, that the landlord accepted your partner moving out. If he agreed to the ending of the tenancy then your partner may have been released from his obligation to pay rent for the full term.

Can a landlord end a tenancy early if it is unsatisfactory?

This must be a balanced clause allowing the landlord and the tenant the same rights to terminate the agreement if it proves unsatisfactory. A clause which allows a landlord to end the tenancy early, but doesn’t extend this same right to the tenant would contravene the provisions of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999.

What should I do if I want to end my lease early?

For the most part, your landlord will hold you to the terms of your lease. So, the first thing to do is consult your contract for details about ending a lease early. Sometimes leases include details regarding adequate notice and termination fees (e.g. two months’ worth of rent).

How much notice do I need to give my Landlord to end my tenancy?

When and how much notice you give will depend on the type of tenancy you have and what your tenancy agreement says. If you can’t give the right amount of notice you might be able to agree with your landlord to end your tenancy early. This is called ‘surrendering your tenancy’.