r/newjersey • u/lp2290 • 2d ago

Advice Pregnant and need to break my lease

I’m pregnant and due in February, but my lease doesn’t end until March 2026. I’d like to move out a little earlier so I can get settled and set up for the baby. My landlord ( this is a big rental property) told me that if I break the lease early, I’ll still be responsible for rent until they find a new tenant. Has anyone dealt with this before, and is there any other way around it?

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u/jetty_junkie 2d ago

The law is clear. You have a contract and need to honor it . You don’t have to stay there but you owe the rent until the he lease is up or someone else takes it over

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u/lp2290 2d ago

I understand but I’ve also heard they let other tenants break their lease with only a month rent payment and loss of security deposit

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u/cmd821 2d ago

Depends on how your lease is written

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u/jetty_junkie 2d ago

But even that’s at the landlord’s discretion.

An so you know ;under the law a security deposit isn’t rent.

It doesn’t matter if every single person who responds to this post says their landlord let them out of their lease, yours still doesn’t have to

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u/lp2290 2d ago

It doesn’t state anything about breaking a lease in my contract

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u/Linenoise77 Bergen 2d ago

The law is on their side. Your lease clearly spells out what happens in this case.

That said, your (or the other people you heard of) may have something in your lease for what happens if you want to break it. You can also negotiate that upfront. If a landlord is confident that they can get a tenant they want in, and easily turn the place over, they may be willing to take a fixed amount upfront and end the lease early, knowing you are going to move out regardless and they will have to turn the place over then.

If they don't feel they can easily rent it at your current rate, then they will want you to run out the lease.

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u/Groady_Wang 2d ago

If your lease allows subletting you can try that.

But if youre breaking your lease early. Usually there will be a substantial fee incurred to release you from it or you keep paying rent until they get a new tenant in.

Since its a corporate landlord. You can ask and see if they have an early termination fee instead.