[ABBYG]

Is it OK to break a lease with an apt. complex if you no longer feel safe there?

[HistorianChick]

It's OK, yes, but you will probably be penalized. Look in your contract and see what you signed. Most apartment complexes add a stipulation that you have to pay a break contract fee.

[HotPotato2009]

She's right.

[LisaB4657]

If you break your lease, and if your lease does not have a "break clause" that specifies an amount to be paid for breaking, then (in most states) you are responsible for the rent until the end of the lease term or until the landlord re-rents the property, whichever comes first.

Some states, most notably Florida, do not require the landlord to make any effort to re-rent the property. So you would be responsible for the rent until the end of the lease term.

However, if you feel unsafe and break the lease, and if the landlord sues you for the balance of the rent, then you can get out of responsibility for the rent if you can prove to a judge that the unsafe condition was somehow due to the landlord's fault or negligence. That will be very tough to prove.

If your lease doesn't include a break clause, try negotiating with the landlord. They may let you out of the lease in return for a payment, such as paying a month or two of rent, or forfeiting your security deposit.