What happens if you break your lease?

Question

I'm not allowed to sublet my apartment, but I was going to let my friend sublet (I'd pay the landlord, my friend would pay me). I'm in college, but the lease ends in August, so I need someone to stay there. My roommate threatened to report me because we had past issues. What could happen if she does? She has broken the lease multiple times (smoking weed, throwing parties, etc.) so I threatened to report her for that. Also, our other roommate is subletting too, so I threatened to report her as well. She's only doing me because of something unrelated. I don't know if she will now, but what would happen? The landlord is still receiving all payments in full and on time. Also, they know that students sublet during the summer all the time, it's just not actually allowed.

Update:

If it was unclear before, I'm paying my landlord no matter what. Even if my friend/sublet doesn't pay me, I'm still paying the landlord. And I'm not concerned about getting evicted because I don't live there anymore and I'm not returning.

Nuff Sed · Accepted Answer

Depends upon your landlord. The fact that they DO allow students to sublet will work against them if they try to complain about you doing exactly the same. In effect, if they "allow it", then it is, by definition, "allowed", meaning they may have waives their rights to have it any differently for you.

Of course, if they're being paid the full rent and there aren't any reasons to expect you to not pay when your subtenant defaults, why would the landlord not want to cooperate?  The alternative is that everyone gets evicted and the landlord has to go through the hassle of cleaning it up, soliciting new applicants, qualifying them, and then runs exactly the same risk that the next bunch will do the same thing next summer.

Anonymous · Answer

You are blatantly & knowingly violation the lease. You (or rather your sublease) can be evicted & sued.

tro · Answer

if you are not allowed to sublet that's what it means you can't let your friend stay there, pay you and you in turn pay the landlord,  you are still doing something you are not permitted to do
the landlord will evict you and require you pay all the months remaining on the lease

Slickterp · Answer

You all get evicted,

babyboomer1001 · Answer

Why on earth would anyone decide to rent with people so different from one another and at each other's throats?  If you don't pay, I doubt your roommates will for you.  If they do, they can sue you.  If they do not, you will all be evicted.  That will result in bad credit, a eviction on your record, which will make it virtually impossible to rent anywhere else and with a judgment against you, it could affect your ability to get a job.

D J · Answer

You can not sublease., the landlord can sue you & you can no recover from your friend if they do not pay the rent because you are breaking your lease to sublease.

Maxi · Answer

The LL will sue you for breach of the contract and  you will have to pay full rent, be thrown out and get yourself a CCJ wrecking your credit for years and stopping you getting another rental as well as other things you want on credit

Donald B · Answer

If you break a lease it messes up your credit.  Talk to the manager.  The person who signs the lease is responsible by all mis behavior of tenants particularly ones that are subleasers.

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What happens if you break your lease?

8 Answers