Resources
Templates and legal resources to help with leases, safety, and tenant rights.
Download sample lease templates and a checklist to review key clauses before signing.
- Parties & term: Names, start/end dates, automatic renewal.
- Rent & fees: Amount, due date, grace period, late fees, accepted payment methods.
- Security deposit: Amount, permitted uses, and timeline for return.
- Utilities & additional charges: Who pays for heat, water, electricity, internet, parking.
- Maintenance & repairs: How to report repairs and landlord response time.
- Entry & notice: Landlord access rules and notice required for entry.
- Termination & early break: Notice periods, penalties, and any buyout clause.
Detailed options and practical steps to end a lease early. Always document issues and consult legal aid if possible.
Common legal/allowed reasons
- Habitability / landlord breach: Serious unresolved repairs (no heat, water leaks, mold) that make the unit uninhabitable may allow termination under local laws.
- Domestic violence / safety protections: Many jurisdictions allow early termination for victims with documentation (advocate letter, restraining order).
- Military service: Federal protections allow active-duty service members to break leases in many cases.
Practical ways to break a lease
- Mutual termination: Negotiate with landlord for a buyout or mutual release (offer to pay a set fee or help find a replacement tenant).
- Assign/sublet: If allowed by lease, find a qualified replacement tenant and get landlord approval; provide a strong application package.
- Constructive eviction/landlord breach: Document conditions (photos, repair requests) and follow local procedures; sometimes courts allow termination if landlord fails to remedy.
- Use protected-status termination: Provide required documentation (e.g., for domestic violence or military) and follow statutory notice requirements.
- Negotiated buyout: Offer a reasonable one-time payment (e.g., one or two months' rent) as a settlement to avoid further liability.
Suggested steps: 1) Document everything (photos, messages), 2) Notify landlord in writing, 3) Seek legal aid or tenant advice, 4) If negotiating, get mutual termination in writing.
If you or someone you know is fleeing violence, immediate safety is the priority. National Hotline: 1-800-799-7233.
Local shelters, emergency relocation programs, and legal protections (restraining orders, lease termination exceptions) may be available — contact the hotline or local domestic violence organizations for confidential help.
NYC support and shelters (examples):
If you have a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) or other voucher in NYC:
- Contact your administering agency (NYC HRA/Department of Social Services or local PHA) to confirm voucher portability and landlord requirements.
- Search listings for landlords who accept vouchers, and ask landlords directly whether they accept Section 8.
- Use NYC resources and local housing navigators — some listings and lotteries on NYC Housing Connect indicate voucher-friendly options.
Apartment search tips for voucher holders
Target neighborhoods: pick 2–3 areas and expand radius; be flexible on unit size when possible.
Prepare materials: have a package with voucher docs, ID, proof of income, references, and a short cover note explaining voucher portability and timeliness.
Use direct scripts: when contacting landlords, be brief and clear — see sample below.
Sample script to speak with landlords
Hi — my name is [First Last]. I have a Housing Choice Voucher and steady income. The voucher covers a portion of rent through the housing authority and I can provide all documentation and references. Are you open to renting to a tenant with a voucher? I can move quickly and provide the required paperwork.
Tip: If the landlord is unsure, offer to share the PHA contact or the landlord packet from your agency.
Below are two simple estimators — one from the tenant perspective and one for landlords. These are estimates; contact your PHA for exact rules.
Important: Local rules vary widely. Contact your administering PHA for exact calculation rules, allowable deductions, utility responsibilities (tenant vs. PHA), and payment standards. Keep pay stubs and documentation ready.
Rental discrimination occurs when a landlord treats applicants or tenants differently because of a protected characteristic (race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability, sexual orientation, or other protected classes under state/local law).
Document: Keep ads, messages, screenshots, and notes about conversations (dates, times, names).
NYC resource: File a complaint or learn about tenant protections at the NYC Commission on Human Rights: https://www.nyc.gov/site/cchr/index.page
Federal resource: File with HUD's Fair Housing office: HUD Fair Housing