EARLY LEASE TERMINATION AGREEMENT
1. PARTIES TO THE AGREEMENT
This Early Lease Termination Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the "Agreement") is made and entered into on this _____ day of ________________, [YEAR], by and between:
LANDLORD/PROPERTY OWNER(S):
[LANDLORD NAME] (hereinafter referred to as "Landlord")
[LANDLORD ADDRESS]
[LANDLORD PHONE]
[LANDLORD EMAIL]
AND
TENANT(S):
[TENANT NAME(S)] (hereinafter referred to as "Tenant")
[TENANT CURRENT ADDRESS]
[TENANT PHONE]
[TENANT EMAIL]
(Collectively referred to as the "Parties")
2. PROPERTY DETAILS
The rental property subject to this Agreement is located at:
Property Address: [FULL PROPERTY ADDRESS INCLUDING UNIT NUMBER]
Property Description: [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY, e.g., "A two-bedroom, two-bathroom residential apartment unit"]
3. ORIGINAL LEASE INFORMATION
3.1 Original Lease Agreement. The Parties entered into a Lease Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the "Original Lease") on the _____ day of ________________, [YEAR], for the rental of the above-described Property.
3.2 Original Lease Term. The Original Lease commenced on the _____ day of ________________, [YEAR], and was scheduled to expire on the _____ day of ________________, [YEAR], for a total term of _____ months.
3.3 Current Monthly Rent. The current monthly rent under the Original Lease is $__________.
3.4 Security Deposit. Pursuant to the Original Lease, Tenant paid a security deposit in the amount of $__________.
4. TERMINATION DETAILS
4.1 Early Termination Date. The Parties hereby mutually agree to terminate the Original Lease effective _____ day of ________________, [YEAR] (the "Termination Date"), which is earlier than the original expiration date specified in Section 3.2 above.
4.2 Reason for Early Termination. The Parties agree to terminate the Original Lease early due to the following reason(s):
[REASON FOR EARLY TERMINATION, e.g., "Sale of the Property," "Tenant's job relocation," etc.]
4.3 Move-Out Date and Time. Tenant agrees to completely vacate the Property, including the removal of all personal belongings, by no later than _______ [TIME] on _____ day of ________________, [YEAR] (the "Move-Out Date"). If the Move-Out Date differs from the Termination Date, the Tenant's obligations under the Original Lease, including payment of rent, shall continue through the Termination Date regardless of the actual move-out date.
4.4 Key Return. Tenant shall return all keys, access cards, garage door openers, and other access devices (collectively, "Keys") to Landlord at the time of move-out inspection or by _______ [TIME] on the Move-Out Date, whichever occurs first. Failure to return all Keys by the specified time shall result in a charge of $_____ per day until all Keys are returned, plus any costs associated with changing locks or replacing access devices.
5. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
5.1 Early Termination Fee. In consideration for Landlord's agreement to terminate the Original Lease before its expiration date, Tenant agrees to pay an early termination fee of $__________, which shall be paid by [PAYMENT METHOD] no later than _____ day of ________________, [YEAR].
5.2 Rent Proration. If the Termination Date falls on a day other than the last day of a calendar month, rent shall be prorated as follows:
a) Monthly rent of $__________ divided by _____ days in the month = $__________ per day.
b) _____ days of occupancy in the final month × $__________ per day = $__________ prorated rent due.
c) Tenant shall pay this prorated amount on or before _____ day of ________________, [YEAR].
5.3 Security Deposit Handling.
a) Landlord shall inspect the Property after Tenant has vacated and shall provide Tenant with an itemized statement of any deductions from the security deposit within _____ days after the Termination Date, as required by applicable state law.
b) Deductions may be made for the following reasons:
i. Unpaid rent or other charges due under the Original Lease;
ii. Costs of repairing damage to the Property beyond normal wear and tear;
iii. Costs of cleaning the Property to restore it to the same condition as at the commencement of the Original Lease, reasonable wear and tear excepted;
iv. Any other costs or charges for which Tenant is responsible under the Original Lease.
c) The remaining security deposit, if any, shall be returned to Tenant at the forwarding address provided in Section 11.3 within _____ days after the Termination Date.
d) If the security deposit is insufficient to cover all amounts due under this Agreement or the Original Lease, Tenant shall remain liable for any deficiency and shall pay such amount within _____ days of receiving written notice from Landlord.
5.4 Outstanding Balances.
a) Tenant shall pay all outstanding rent, utilities, late fees, and any other charges due under the Original Lease up to and including the Termination Date.
b) Tenant shall pay the following outstanding balances on or before the Termination Date:
i. Unpaid rent: $__________
ii. Late fees: $__________
iii. Utility charges: $__________
iv. Maintenance/repair charges: $__________
v. Other charges (specify): $__________
vi. Total outstanding balance: $__________
c) Payment of all outstanding balances is a material condition of this Agreement, and failure to pay such balances shall constitute a breach of this Agreement.
6. PROPERTY CONDITION
6.1 Move-Out Inspection.
a) Landlord and Tenant shall conduct a joint move-out inspection of the Property on _____ day of ________________, [YEAR], at _______ [TIME].
b) If Tenant is unable to be present for the inspection, Tenant hereby authorizes Landlord to conduct the inspection without Tenant's presence, and Tenant agrees to accept Landlord's assessment of the Property's condition.
c) During the inspection, Landlord shall document the condition of the Property, including any damage beyond normal wear and tear, using the Move-Out Inspection Checklist attached as Exhibit A to this Agreement.
d) Both Parties shall sign the Move-Out Inspection Checklist at the conclusion of the inspection, and each Party shall retain a copy.
6.2 Property Condition Requirements.
a) Tenant shall return the Property to Landlord in the same condition as when Tenant took possession, except for normal wear and tear.
b) Specifically, Tenant shall:
i. Remove all personal belongings from the Property, including from all closets, storage areas, garages, and outdoor spaces;
ii. Clean the entire Property thoroughly, including but not limited to: all floors, walls, windows, appliances, cabinets, countertops, fixtures, and bathrooms;
iii. Repair any damage caused by Tenant, Tenant's family members, guests, or pets;
iv. Replace any burnt-out light bulbs;
v. Remove all trash and debris from the Property and properly dispose of it;
vi. Return all fixtures and attachments to their original locations;
vii. Fill and patch all nail holes and other small wall damages;
viii. Clean all carpets according to professional standards or have them professionally cleaned.
c) Failure to meet these requirements may result in deductions from the security deposit or additional charges if the security deposit is insufficient to cover the costs of restoring the Property to the required condition.
6.3 Personal Property Removal.
a) Tenant shall remove all personal property from the Property by the Move-Out Date.
b) Any personal property remaining on the Property after the Move-Out Date shall be considered abandoned and may be disposed of by Landlord in accordance with applicable state law.
c) Tenant shall be responsible for any costs incurred by Landlord in removing, storing, or disposing of abandoned personal property, which may be deducted from the security deposit or billed to Tenant if the security deposit is insufficient.
d) Landlord shall not be responsible for any loss or damage to Tenant's abandoned personal property, regardless of cause.
7. LEGAL PROVISIONS
7.1 Release of Liability.
a) Upon full performance of all obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to payment of all amounts due and vacation of the Property, the Parties shall be released from all further obligations under the Original Lease, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement.
b) Tenant hereby releases, acquits, and forever discharges Landlord from any and all claims, liabilities, obligations, and causes of action arising from or related to the Original Lease or Tenant's occupancy of the Property, except for the return of the security deposit as provided in this Agreement.
c) Landlord hereby releases, acquits, and forever discharges Tenant from any and all claims, liabilities, obligations, and causes of action arising from or related to the Original Lease or Tenant's occupancy of the Property, except for those obligations that survive termination as set forth in this Agreement.
d) This mutual release shall become effective only upon Tenant's full compliance with all terms and conditions of this Agreement, including but not limited to payment of all amounts due and vacation of the Property by the Move-Out Date.
7.2 Surviving Obligations.
a) Notwithstanding the termination of the Original Lease and the mutual release set forth above, the following obligations shall survive termination:
i. Any indemnification provisions contained in the Original Lease;
ii. Any confidentiality obligations contained in the Original Lease;
iii. Tenant's obligation to pay for any damage to the Property discovered after the Move-Out Date that was caused during Tenant's occupancy;
iv. Any obligation related to the payment of utilities or other services used by Tenant through the Termination Date but billed after the Termination Date;
v. Any other obligations that, by their nature, are intended to survive termination of the Original Lease.
b) These surviving obligations shall remain in full force and effect according to their terms, notwithstanding the termination of the Original Lease.
7.3 Non-Disparagement Clause.
a) The Parties agree that they shall not make, publish, or communicate to any person or entity or in any public forum any defamatory, maliciously false, or disparaging remarks, comments, or statements concerning the other Party or the other Party's business operations, policies, or practices.
b) This provision includes, but is not limited to, statements made on social media, review websites, or other online platforms.
c) This provision does not prohibit either Party from providing truthful information as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena or other legal process.
d) The Parties acknowledge that a breach of this provision would cause irreparable harm for which monetary damages would be an inadequate remedy, and therefore agree that, in addition to any other remedies available, the non-breaching Party shall be entitled to injunctive relief to enforce this provision.
7.4 Governing Law.
a) This Agreement shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of [STATE WHERE PROPERTY IS LOCATED], without regard to its conflict of laws principles.
b) The Parties agree that the courts of [COUNTY, STATE WHERE PROPERTY IS LOCATED] shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
7.5 Dispute Resolution.
a) In the event of any dispute, claim, question, or disagreement arising from or relating to this Agreement or the breach thereof, the Parties shall use their best efforts to settle the dispute, claim, question, or disagreement.
b) To this effect, they shall consult and negotiate with each other in good faith and, recognizing their mutual interests, attempt to reach a just and equitable solution satisfactory to both Parties.
c) If the Parties do not reach such solution within a period of thirty (30) days, then, upon notice by either Party to the other, all disputes, claims, questions, or differences shall be finally settled by mediation conducted by a mediator mutually agreed upon by the Parties.
d) If the Parties cannot agree on a mediator within fifteen (15) days of such notice, either Party may request that a mediator be appointed by [LOCAL MEDIATION SERVICE OR COURT].
e) If mediation is unsuccessful, either Party may then initiate legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction.
f) The Parties agree to share equally the costs of mediation.
g) Nothing in this section shall prohibit either Party from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent the breach of this Agreement pending resolution of the dispute through mediation.
7.6 Severability Clause.
a) If any provision of this Agreement, or any portion thereof, is held to be invalid, illegal, void, or unenforceable by any court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect to the maximum extent permitted by law.
b) The Parties agree that any such invalid, illegal, void, or unenforceable provision shall be modified and limited in its effect to the extent necessary to cause it to be enforceable, or if such modification is not possible, shall be deemed severed from this Agreement.
c) In such event, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith to replace any invalid, illegal, void, or unenforceable provision with a valid, legal, and enforceable provision that corresponds as closely as possible to the Parties' original intent and economic expectations.
d) The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision in one jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other jurisdiction.
7.7 Entire Agreement Clause.
a) This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding and agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior negotiations, discussions, undertakings, and agreements between the Parties regarding the early termination of the Original Lease.
b) The Parties acknowledge that they have not relied on any representation, promise, inducement, or statement of intention that is not expressly set forth in this Agreement.
c) This Agreement is intended to be the complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between the Parties regarding the early termination of the Original Lease.
7.8 No Modification Clause.
a) This Agreement may not be modified, amended, altered, or supplemented except by a written agreement executed by all Parties hereto.
b) No waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing and signed by the Party against whom it is sought to be enforced.
c) The failure of either Party to insist upon strict performance of any provision of this Agreement in any one or more instances shall not be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of such provision for the future, and such provision shall continue in full force and effect.
8. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
8.1 References/Landlord Statement.
a) Upon Tenant's full compliance with all terms and conditions of this Agreement, Landlord agrees to provide, upon request, a neutral reference to potential future landlords, limited to the following information:
i. The duration of Tenant's tenancy;
ii. The monthly rent amount;
iii. Confirmation that the lease was terminated by mutual agreement;
iv. Whether Tenant paid rent on time; and
v. Whether Tenant maintained the Property in good condition.
b) Landlord shall not provide any additional information without Tenant's prior written consent, except as required by law.
c) This provision shall not prohibit Landlord from providing truthful information in response to a court order, subpoena, or as otherwise required by law.
8.2 Key Return Procedure.
a) Tenant shall return all Keys to Landlord at the time of the move-out inspection or by the Move-Out Date, whichever occurs first.
b) Keys shall be returned directly to Landlord or Landlord's authorized representative at the following location: [KEY RETURN LOCATION].
c) Tenant shall receive a written receipt for all returned Keys, which shall be signed by both Parties and shall include:
i. The date and time of return;
ii. A description and count of all Keys returned;
iii. The names and signatures of the persons returning and receiving the Keys.
d) Tenant acknowledges that failure to return all Keys by the specified time may result in additional charges as set forth in Section 4.4 of this Agreement.
8.3 Forwarding Address.
a) Tenant shall provide Landlord with a forwarding address for the return of the security deposit and any future communications.
b) Tenant's forwarding address is:
[TENANT FORWARDING ADDRESS]
c) Tenant shall be responsible for submitting a change of address form with the United States Postal Service to ensure proper mail forwarding.
d) Landlord shall not be responsible for forwarding Tenant's mail after the Termination Date.
e) Tenant agrees to update Landlord promptly in writing if the forwarding address changes before the security deposit is returned.
8.4 Utility Transfer/Disconnection.
a) Tenant shall be responsible for transferring or disconnecting all utilities in Tenant's name by the Termination Date, including but not limited to:
i. Electricity
ii. Gas
iii. Water/Sewer
iv. Internet/Cable
v. Telephone
vi. Trash collection
vii. [OTHER UTILITIES]
b) Tenant shall provide Landlord with written confirmation of all utility transfers or disconnections at least three (3) business days before the Termination Date.
c) Tenant shall be responsible for all utility charges incurred through the Termination Date, even if billed after the Termination Date.
d) If Tenant fails to transfer or disconnect utilities by the Termination Date, Tenant shall remain responsible for all charges incurred until such utilities are properly transferred or disconnected, and Landlord may deduct any such charges paid by Landlord from Tenant's security deposit.
e) Landlord shall not be responsible for any interruption or disconnection of utility services resulting from Tenant's failure to properly transfer or disconnect utilities.
9. ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND SIGNATURES
9.1 Acknowledgment. The Parties acknowledge that they have read this Agreement in its entirety, understand its contents, and have had the opportunity to consult with legal counsel of their choosing regarding this Agreement.
9.2 Voluntary Execution. The Parties acknowledge that they are executing this Agreement voluntarily and without any duress or undue influence.
9.3 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Electronic or facsimile signatures shall be deemed original signatures for all purposes.
9.4 Binding Effect. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and permitted assigns.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
LANDLORD:
[LANDLORD NAME]
Date: _____________________________
TENANT(S):
[TENANT NAME]
Date: _____________________________
[TENANT NAME]
Date: _____________________________
EXHIBIT A: MOVE-OUT INSPECTION CHECKLIST
[To be completed at the time of move-out inspection]
Property Address: [PROPERTY ADDRESS]
Inspection Date: ___________________
Time: ___________________________
| Area/Item | Condition | Damage Beyond Normal Wear and Tear | Estimated Repair/Replacement Cost |
|---|
| ENTRY/HALLWAY | | | |
| Doors | | | |
| Walls | | | |
| Ceiling | | | |
| Flooring | | | |
| Light fixtures | | | |
| LIVING ROOM | | | |
| Walls | | | |
| Ceiling | | | |
| Flooring | | | |
| Windows/Screens | | | |
| Blinds/Curtains | | | |
| Light fixtures | | | |
| KITCHEN | | | |
| Walls | | | |
| Ceiling | | | |
| Flooring | | | |
| Cabinets | | | |
| Countertops | | | |
| Sink/Faucet | | | |
| Stove/Oven | | | |
| Refrigerator | | | |
| Dishwasher | | | |
| Microwave | | | |
| Light fixtures | | | |
| BEDROOM(S) | | | |
| Walls | | | |
| Ceiling | | | |
| Flooring | | | |
| Windows/Screens | | | |
| Blinds/Curtains | | | |
| Closets | | | |
| Light fixtures | | | |
| BATHROOM(S) | | | |
| Walls | | | |
| Ceiling | | | |
| Flooring | | | |
| Sink/Vanity | | | |
| Toilet | | | |
| Tub/Shower | | | |
| Mirror/Medicine cabinet | | | |
| Light fixtures | | | |
| OTHER AREAS | | | |
| Patio/Balcony | | | |
| Garage/Storage | | | |
| Yard | | | |
| MISCELLANEOUS | | | |
| Smoke detectors | | | |
| Carbon monoxide detectors | | | |
| Thermostat | | | |
| Keys returned | | | |
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
TOTAL ESTIMATED DEDUCTIONS FROM SECURITY DEPOSIT: $__________
SIGNATURES:
Landlord Signature
Date: _____________________________
Tenant Signature
Date: _____________________________
Tenant Signature
Date: _____________________________
