Sometimes life presents you with temptations. You get a great new job offer, but it requires moving to a new city. Yet your current lease agreement doesn’t expire for another couple of months. Is it worth sacrificing your rental history report to break a lease, and possibly end up with an eviction record on your record?
A lease agreement is a legally binding contract, and when a set end date is specified for the lease to expire, you as the tenant are responsible until that date for your end of the agreement. If you need to move out early due to job relocation, you are still responsible for paying rent. If you don’t, your landlord could take you to court for payment of rent, and/or evict you, which will show up on your rental history record.
Why is an eviction record such a big deal? Anytime you want to move to a new rental property, there’s a good chance the landlord at that location will conduct a rental history background check, looking at your rental payment history, credit history and criminal background. Landlords conduct this check to find the best candidates for their vacant properties. If you have an eviction record, or missed rental payments on your rental history report, you may not be able to find a landlord willing to rent to you.
If you don’t have any intention of renting again, and are not worried about the potential for a landlord taking you to court for missed rental payments, then you might find the temptation to break a lease is too great to ignore. But if the potential consequences are too severe, consider trying to work an alternative agreement out with your landlord, like subleasing, or helping the landlord find a new quality tenant. This action can help to keep your rental history report clear of negative entries.
