Free Calculator Tool

Early Termination Fee Calculator

Find out exactly how much it will cost to break your lease - what your landlord can legally charge, what you might actually pay in the best and worst case, and how to reduce your liability. Free and instant, with the landlord's re-renting rule for the 15 states and D.C. our research covers.

Calculate Your Lease Break Cost

Your State

Monthly Rent ($) Your current monthly rent amount

Months Remaining on Lease How many months are left on your current lease

Termination Fee in Your Lease Check your lease for the exact termination clause

Does Your State Require Landlord to Re-Rent? Of the 16 places we cover, 10 set this duty by statute. Florida has no duty to re-rent, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court has held there is none, and Georgia likely has none; check the current law in Pennsylvania and Georgia.

Your Early Termination Estimate

Estimated Termination Cost

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Best Case (Fast Re-Rent)

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If landlord finds new tenant within 2-4 weeks

Slow Re-Rent Case

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If unit sits empty for 2-3 months before re-renting

Monthly Rent

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Max Legal Exposure

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Cost Scenarios

Best Case - You Find a Replacement Tenant

You actively help find a new renter and landlord re-lets quickly

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Middle Case - Re-Rents in 4-6 Weeks

If the landlord re-rents 4-6 weeks after you move out

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Slow Case - Landlord Slow to Re-Rent

Unit sits empty for 2-3 months or landlord charges flat fee

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Your State Law

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How to Reduce Your Termination Fee

Find a replacement tenant yourself - this is the single most effective way to reduce or eliminate your fee. Advertise on Zillow, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace with your landlord's permission.
Give maximum written notice immediately - the sooner you tell your landlord, the sooner they start re-renting. Send notice via certified mail and email today.
Negotiate directly with your landlord - you can offer a lump-sum settlement for less than the lease says. Offer a clean unit, good references, and prompt payment.
Document any habitability issues - if your unit has serious unresolved problems, this may qualify you for penalty-free termination in some states, including California, Florida and Ohio.
Track when the unit gets re-rented - monitor listing sites after you move out. Once a new tenant pays rent, the landlord generally cannot also collect rent for the same period from you. If landlord re-rents fast, push back on excessive charges.
Get any settlement agreement in writing - if you agree on a reduced fee, get it in writing signed by both parties before you pay anything.

Does Your Landlord Have to Re-Rent? The Rule by City

Breaking a lease early is one of the most financially stressful situations a renter can face. The good news is that the actual cost can be much less than what your lease threatens - because in 10 of the 16 places we cover, a statute makes the landlord mitigate damages rather than simply billing you for every remaining month.

Whether your landlord has to try to re-rent depends on your state. Here is the rule in 10 of the cities we cover, as our research records it.

City / State	Duty to Mitigate?
New York City, NY	Mandatory, non-waivable (N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 227-e)
Los Angeles, CA	Mandatory, tenant proves (Cal. Civ. Code § 1951.2)
Chicago, IL	Mandatory statewide (735 ILCS 5/9-213.1)
Austin, TX	Mandatory, non-waivable (Tex. Prop. Code § 91.006)
Miami, FL	No duty to re-rent (Fla. Stat. § 83.595)
Seattle, WA	Mandatory on abandonment (RCW 59.18.310)
Denver, CO	Case law; our record finds no statute
Phoenix, AZ	Mandatory after abandonment (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1370)
Nashville, TN	Mandatory in large counties (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-507)
Atlanta, GA	Likely no duty

The Duty to Mitigate - Your Most Important Protection

In 10 of the 16 places we cover, a statute gives landlords a "duty to mitigate damages" when a tenant breaks a lease. Where it applies, a landlord generally cannot simply sit back and charge you for every remaining month while the apartment sits empty. Texas Property Code Section 91.006 requires it and voids any lease clause that waives it; California Civil Code Section 1951.2 lets a landlord recover future rent only to the extent you cannot prove the loss was avoidable, though under Section 1951.4 a landlord may keep the lease alive and collect rent as it comes due if the lease permits subletting or assignment. Ohio's duty comes from its Supreme Court, not from any section of the Ohio code our record read. Our Colorado record finds no Colorado statute on the duty to mitigate, though Colorado courts apply general contract mitigation principles, and our Massachusetts record found no duty-to-mitigate section in Chapter 186 of the General Laws. Florida has no duty to re-rent, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court has held there is none, and Georgia likely has none, so there a landlord may be able to leave the unit empty and hold you to the rent for the rest of the term. For Ohio, Colorado, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Georgia, check the current law before relying on this.

In practice, this means: if you move out in August and your landlord finds a new tenant by October, you owe rent for September and October only - not for the remaining 6 months of your lease. Once a new tenant starts paying rent, the landlord generally cannot also collect that rent from you, though in some states, including Florida and Washington, the landlord can still recover any shortfall in the new rent. This single protection can save you thousands of dollars.

Flat Fee vs Pay-Until-Rented - Which Is Better for You?

Some leases specify a flat early termination fee while others say you pay until a new tenant is found. Which is better depends on your market. In a hot rental market where units re-rent in 1-2 weeks, paying until re-rented is cheaper. In a slow market where units sit empty for months, a flat fee provides cost certainty. Our calculator shows you both scenarios so you can see which applies to your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to break a lease early?

It depends first on the kind of clause in your lease: a flat termination fee sets the amount in the lease itself, while a clause that has you pay rent until the unit is re-rented ties the cost to how long it sits empty. In 10 of the 16 places we cover, a statute makes the landlord mitigate damages, so a landlord generally cannot simply bill you for all remaining months. Florida has no duty to re-rent, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court has held there is none, and Georgia likely has none; check the current law in Pennsylvania and Georgia. Enter your rent, months left and fee type in the calculator above to see an estimate.

My lease says I owe all remaining rent if I break it - is that enforceable?

It depends on your state. Of the 16 places we cover, 10 have a statute that makes the landlord mitigate damages, including California, Texas, New York, Illinois and Washington; Texas and New York void any clause that waives it. There you may still owe rent until the unit re-rents, but typically not every remaining month. In California, Civ. Code § 1951.4 is the exception: if the lease permits subletting or assignment, the landlord may keep the lease alive and collect rent as it comes due. Florida has no duty to re-rent, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court has held there is none, and Georgia likely has none, so a landlord there may hold you to the remaining rent; check the current law in Pennsylvania and Georgia.

Will breaking my lease hurt my credit score?

Breaking a lease itself does not directly affect your credit score. However, if you leave an unpaid balance - an early termination fee you didn't pay or rent for the notice period - and your landlord sends it to a collections agency, that collection account can significantly drop your credit score. Always get any payment agreements in writing and pay what you legitimately owe to avoid collections.

Can I break my lease for free in any situation?

Yes, in some situations. Under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, a qualifying servicemember can end a lease with written notice and a copy of the military orders, with no early termination fee, though rent is owed up to the date the termination takes effect. In 13 of the 16 places we cover, plus Philadelphia, a domestic violence survivor who qualifies can end a lease early with written notice, in most of them backed by documentation such as a protective order or police report. Our Florida record finds no such statute, and our Ohio record found none in the chapters it read; check the current law in both states. Serious habitability issues the landlord failed to fix may also qualify. Check our state-specific early termination guides for your exact rights.

How can I negotiate my early termination fee down?

The most effective strategy is finding a qualified replacement tenant yourself - many landlords will waive or heavily reduce the fee if you hand them a ready renter. Beyond that, give maximum notice to start the re-renting clock immediately, offer a cash settlement (landlords often prefer certain money now over uncertain rent later), keep the unit in perfect condition, and get any agreement in writing before paying. Be polite and professional - landlords are more flexible with tenants they like.