What do I do if I need to break my apartment lease?

Question

I have signed a lease for a 2 bedroom apartment with a friend of mine, but my friend is bipolar, and moving to the city just made him worse. He's hurt himself and has threatened to even jump off the roof of the building, which really, really scares and worries me.

I suggested to him that he should move back to his hometown where its a little quieter. I would need to move out as well because I could not afford to live there alone. But we have 6 months left on the lease and we gave our 2 months notice(with people to replace us). We did have friends that were willing to take the apartment but backed out at the last minute.. Weve been putting ads up everywhere we could but have had no luck so far(Ive tried to put ads online, but it costs money that we dont have right now, so if you know any sites that are free, specifically for Toronto, that would be helpful). I am worried about my credit also, I hope that it doesn't get affected by this.

Answer 1

A lease is not credit, so it should not affect your credit score. There are, however, services that maintain data on renters who have skipped on leases or otherwise not paid rent. This could make it more difficult to rent, especially from some large corporations or large apartment building. You should approach your landlord and explain the situation to see if he will cut you a break.

Answer 2

You can contact the leasing office and tell them about your friend, that is a very serious reason to let someone out of a lease.

Answer 3

I think due to your situation your landlord might cut you a break and also I am sure he does not want someone living there that might hurt himself.Talk to your landlord.sounds like the best way to go.Good Luck!

Answer 4

Try Craigslist.org for your town.