Hi, I signed a 1 yr lease in a townhome here in CA. I am 2 months into the lease , what are my legal responsibilitys if I were to break it? How much am I required to pay? Thanks Jm:

Does your lease have a termination clause? If so then you are required to pay whatever the termination clause says.

If your lease does not have a termination clause, then you are responsible for the rent until the landlord re-rents the townhouse or until the lease term ends, whichever is earlier. The landlord has an obligation to try and re-rent and thereby mitigate their damage but there is no guarantee that the landlord will find a new tenant that quickly.

Your other options are to sublet if your lease permits it, or to find a new tenant for the landlord, or to speak to the landlord about a possible buyout (such as paying a month or two of rent).

PS in addition to the rent until the place rerents you may also be responsible for advertiusing costs to find the new tenant.