I live in Florida and signed a lease to rent a mobile home for 10 months on 6/1/2007. I want to break my lease at the end of December 2007. I had a house built and it is available now. Can I legally break this lease by giving 30 days notice?

Hello Ugo:

No you can't. If 30 days was OK, then the landlord wouldn't have had you sign a lease. Florida is the worst state too, because the landlord can sue you for the rest of the lease and doesn't have to even try to rent it to anybody else.

If you offered the landlord some CASH, maybe.

excon

You will need to look at the fine print of the lease. Some give you outs such as change of employment with 30 days notice... others hold you responsible. With only two months to go, the landlord might be nice about it if you ask ahead of time. Also, having that two months left, it probably wouldn't be worth the legal expenses to fight having to pay the rent for the last couple of months left on the lease. If you talk to the landlord and find out if they are willing to let you move, and possibly forfeit any deposit paid, it might work out well for you. I know it's nice to save expenses like this and not have to pay for a second place when you could be moving, but it might be easier to swallow if you figure it as part of the cost involved in having your home built... you had to have a place to live while it was being done. Having the mobile home gave you a comfort zone, and you can be glad that the house was done early as opposed to two or three months after the lease expired. Enjoy the new home!

No you cannot break your lease. You can try to negotiate a buy out with your landlord or sublet if he allows it.

The only time a tenant can legally break a lease is if there is an eraly termination clause or the landlord violates some terms of the lease.


Otherwise, especially in Florida, they can hold you to the full term.