 TITLE: Does Breaking a Lease Affect Your Credit? CONTENT: What Happens When You Break a Lease Early?\n------------------------------------------\nYour lease agreement may explain what will happen if you break a lease early. It might even provide steps for you to do so, such as giving a certain amount of notice, paying two months' rent and an early termination fee, or giving up your security deposit. In this case, you simply follow the steps listed in the lease and make the required payments to the landlord.\nWhat happens if the agreement doesn't specify consequences for breaking the lease? This can vary depending on the laws in your state. In many states, landlords are legally required to look for a replacement tenant to mitigate their loss and your owed rent. In the best-case scenario, your landlord finds a replacement quickly, and you only have to pay rent for a month or two.\nIf the landlord can't find a suitable replacement, however, you might be on the hook for the rent for several months—or, in the worst-case scenario, for the entire duration of the lease. If you can't pay, you could face the following consequences:\n*   **You could have trouble renting in the future.** When you apply to rent a property, landlords may contact your previous landlords or check your tenant screening report, which shows your rental history. If they find out that you broke a lease, they may be leery of renting to you.\n*   **Your landlord may turn your rent debt over to collections.** Landlords often use collection agencies to collect unpaid rent. If you don't pay the collection agency after a certain amount of time, the agency may be able to take you to court.\n*   **Your landlord may sue you.** If your landlord sues you for unpaid outstanding rent and you lose, you could have to pay the landlord the rent plus court costs. If you can't afford to pay, the court could garnish your wages to pay the landlord back. END