Times may be hard, and one thing you always want is to be able to depend on your good tenants to stick around. The ole reliable, the dependable, they’ve been here for a while and weren’t ever late, didn’t break things, those are the tenants you want to keep. But you can’t – not forever.
Sometimes tenants decide, on their own accord, that it’s time to go and the lease is their second concern instead of their first. All you’re left with is the question: why did they break their lease?
Times may be hard, and one thing you always want is to be able to depend on your good tenants to stick around. The ole reliable, the dependable, they’ve been here for a while and weren’t ever late, didn’t break things, those are the tenants you want to keep. But you can’t – not forever.
Sometimes tenants decide, on their own accord, that it’s time to go and the lease is their second concern instead of their first. All you’re left with is the question: why did they break their lease?
Active Military Status
Being in the military has its perks and its quirks. Sometimes they look up and all of a sudden their job is turning their lives upside down, and that includes where their lives are currently taking place. You know, their home address! When a service member is being deployed or otherwise moving a minimum of 50 miles due to their notice, the Service Members Civil Relief Act kicks in and lets them break leases with no penalties.
Active Military Status
Being in the military has its perks and its quirks. Sometimes they look up and all of a sudden their job is turning their lives upside down, and that includes where their lives are currently taking place. You know, their home address! When a service member is being deployed or otherwise moving a minimum of 50 miles due to their notice, the Service Members Civil Relief Act kicks in and lets them break leases with no penalties.
Victims of Domestic Violence
To take a trip down a more somber note, some states have special protections given to those suffering from domestic violence. As leaving such places is already hard enough, places such as Nevada and Washington enacted protections to help those trying to break free from a dangerous situation. If a tenant cites this as their reason for breaking a lease, then you can check with a lawyer to verify your state’s specific laws. From there, you can ensure all parties act legally and safely.
Victims of Domestic Violence
To take a trip down a more somber note, some states have special protections given to those suffering from domestic violence. As leaving such places is already hard enough, places such as Nevada and Washington enacted protections to help those trying to break free from a dangerous situation. If a tenant cites this as their reason for breaking a lease, then you can check with a lawyer to verify your state’s specific laws. From there, you can ensure all parties act legally and safely.
Health, Safety, and Privacy Issues
In some cases, a tenant may find something at fault with the property and chose to vacate. As a landlord, your responsibilities are to provide a safe and habitable home, and if that is not the case that they find, they can leave without repercussions. If there is no running water or if there are areas that break local Health and Safety Codes, a tenant can give notice. In some states such as Colorado, if a tenant asks then the landlord may be required “to provide the tenant a comparable dwelling unit, as selected by the landlord, at no expense or cost to the tenant,” or hotel. It would most likely be best to contact a lawyer to see what your rights are, their rights are, and how to best move forward in a situation in your specific location as these laws vary.
Health, Safety, and Privacy Issues
In some cases, a tenant may find something at fault with the property and chose to vacate. As a landlord, your responsibilities are to provide a safe and habitable home, and if that is not the case that they find, they can leave without repercussions. If there is no running water or if there are areas that break local Health and Safety Codes, a tenant can give notice. In some states such as Colorado, if a tenant asks then the landlord may be required “to provide the tenant a comparable dwelling unit, as selected by the landlord, at no expense or cost to the tenant,” or hotel. It would most likely be best to contact a lawyer to see what your rights are, their rights are, and how to best move forward in a situation in your specific location as these laws vary.
Personal Reasons
Those were some of the reasons a renter may choose to break a lease with no fault, but that’s not always how it goes. People need to leave sometimes, and a bit of pen and ink doesn’t always have the power to change that. If a renter has gotten a new job out of state (or city, or just too far away), went through a divorce, lost their job, or have parents who got sick, they may need to break their lease for these circumstances. Maybe they just want to and are fine with the consequences. Maybe their family has changed size and they need a home to reflect that.
When a tenant does leave, it’s good to know why. By learning from the past, we can improve the future. Knowing where to begin is the only way to start.
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Personal Reasons
Those were some of the reasons a renter may choose to break a lease with no fault, but that’s not always how it goes. People need to leave sometimes, and a bit of pen and ink doesn’t always have the power to change that. If a renter has gotten a new job out of state (or city, or just too far away), went through a divorce, lost their job, or have parents who got sick, they may need to break their lease for these circumstances. Maybe they just want to and are fine with the consequences. Maybe their family has changed size and they need a home to reflect that.
When a tenant does leave, it’s good to know why. By learning from the past, we can improve the future. Knowing where to begin is the only way to start.
