A Good Reason To Let A Tenant Break A Lease

Q: My cousin’s tenant wants to break his lease.  I know a lease is a binding contract, but are there any good reasons to let a tenant break a lease? Quincy, Chesterbrook, PA.

A: That’s a great question, Quincy. And you’re right, a lease is a binding contract. But to be an effective landlord, you have to embrace the world as it comes at you and not get bogged down in the theoretical idealism of how things are “supposed to be.” So, I’m going to give you an example where it would make sense to let a tenant break their lease. Let’s say you have a tenant and the tenant lost their job – they can’t pay the rent. Let’s say that the tenant also gave you plenty of advance notice so that you can find another tenant.   In this scenario, the tenancy is going to end anyway because the tenant can’t pay and by giving you advance notice, they’ve saved the landlord the additional cost of eviction.  So, in that scenario, it makes sense to let them break the lease and move out and then you have time to find another tenant to replace them.

Thanks for your question, Quincy.  Good luck!

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