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Recent Answers to Lease Termination Letter Law Questions

Can I terminate my lease early due to unforeseen circumstances?

View Sara S.
4.9 (154)

Landlord Tenant

Lease Termination Letter

Maryland

I recently signed a one-year lease for an apartment, but due to unexpected job loss and financial difficulties, I am struggling to keep up with the monthly rent. I have tried negotiating with my landlord to terminate the lease early, but they are insisting that I am legally bound to fulfill the entire lease term. I want to know if I have any legal options to terminate the lease early based on these unforeseen circumstances.

Sara S.

Answered Jul 1, 2025

Hi, The answer to this lies in the lease and what you and the landlord agree to. Maryland law does not generally provide the right to break a lease for good cause. If a tenant wants to break a lease that does not have a cancellation section, Maryland law permits early termination of a lease only under certain circumstances. These include certain situations where continuation of the tenancy becomes a severe hardship for the tenant, medical situations, and certain situations where the tenant has been called to military duty. See Md. Code, Real Property § 8-212.1 . Discussing this with a qualified Maryland attorney will give you much more clarity.

Can I terminate my lease early without penalty due to unforeseen circumstances?

View Darryl S.
5.0 (135)

Landlord Tenant

Lease Termination Letter

Massachusetts

I signed a one-year lease for an apartment last month, but my circumstances have drastically changed and I am no longer able to afford the rent or live in the area due to a sudden job loss and financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. I have tried to negotiate with the landlord to terminate the lease early, but they insist that I am responsible for the full lease term and any associated penalties for breaking the lease. I want to know if there are any legal grounds for me to terminate the lease without incurring additional costs or penalties given the unforeseen circumstances that have arisen.

Darryl S.

Answered Jun 30, 2024

You should review the termination provisions in your lease, but generally the answer is no - you cannot terminate early unless your Landlord agrees to the termination in writing.

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