All lease agreements have a lease term. This means that the lease lasts for a period of time. In New Jersey, yearly leases or month-to-month leases automatically renew themselves in most cases. This means that if either the landlord or the tenant does not take appropriate action to end the lease, the lease will automatically renew for another term.
Ending Your Lease At the End of Your Lease Term
If you intend to just move out at the end of your lease term, you should not need an attorney. However, you must give advance written notice to your landlord of your intent not to renew the lease. In most cases, the lease agreement will specify when you must provide notice of your intent to move out and not renew the lease. If the lease does not say when you must provide notice to the landlord, then you must provide written notice at least one full month before the expiration of the lease agreement. To end a month-to-month lease agreement, you must give written notice at least one month prior to the time you intend to move as well. Should you fail to give notice to your landlord, you could be liable for future rent.
At The Cintron Firm, we recognize that tenants may need to break their lease before the end of their lease term for different reasons. In these cases, you should consult with an attorney.
Breaking Your New Jersey Lease Due to Unhabitable Conditions, Death or Serious Illness, or Disability
In certain circumstances, New Jersey tenants have a legitimate right under the law to end their lease. Under New Jersey landlord-tenant laws, you may be able to move out before a lease ends for the following reasons:
- Your New Jersey landlord refuses to make necessary repairs to your property and the conditions are so bad that you cannot live there
- If you or your spouse have suffered a serious illness
- If you suffered the death of your spouse
- If you have become disabled and your landlord has failed to make your property handicapped accessible
In order to end your lease due to any of these circumstances, proper notice must be given to your New Jersey landlord. The requirements of these notices are very specific. If proper notice is not provided to the landlord, you may still be required to pay the rent due for the remaining term of the lease. For this reason, you should consult an attorney immediately.
If you intend to break your lease for any of the these reasons, the lawyers at The Cintron Firm can prepare the proper paperwork so that you can legally terminate your lease and minimize the potential exposure to you in the future. To discuss terminating your lease, contact us at 201-791-1333 or simply fill out the contact form on the left.
Breaking Your Lease in New Jersey for Other Reasons
In other situations, landlord-tenant laws may not expressly permit that the lease be broken. For example, if you intend to break your lease to move-in with someone else, to relocate, or to get a bigger apartment, you may still be responsible for all of the rent under the lease if your New Jersey landlord is unable to find a new tenant. For this reason, it is important to notify your landlord immediately in writing of your intent to move out.
If you intend to break your lease, our firm will discuss your reasons with you and work with your landlord to minimize your cost in breaking your lease. In cases where a landlord has already filed suit for you breaking your lease, our lawyers have been successful in defending these suits and, in many cases, have helped clients avoid paying all of the remaining rent due under the lease.
To discuss breaking or ending your lease, please feel free to contact us at 201-791-1333 or fill out the contact form on this page.