Lease Break Cost Calculator

Rent, months remaining, how fast the unit will re-rent — see the worst case, the likely cost, and what a negotiated exit should land between.

Free — no signup Runs in your browser Pairs with the Lease Termination Agreement
Worked example

Seven months left, re-rented in two — the real number

Example: $1,600/month · 7 months left · re-rents in 2

A tenant needs out with 7 months remaining on a $1,600/month lease. The landlord expects to re-rent the unit within 2 months:

Worst case = $1,600 × 7 = $11,200  (unit never re-rents)
Likely     = $1,600 × 2 = $3,200   (rent until re-rented)
Mitigation saves = $11,200 − $3,200 = $8,000

In most states the landlord can’t simply collect all 7 months — they have a duty to make reasonable efforts to re-rent, and the tenant’s liability stops when a new tenant starts paying. A negotiated buyout usually lands between the likely cost and a couple months’ rent.

FAQ

Lease break questions

Usually not. Most states impose a “duty to mitigate” — the landlord must make reasonable efforts to re-rent, and your liability generally ends when a replacement tenant starts paying. You typically owe rent for the actual vacancy plus the landlord’s reasonable re-rental costs, not the whole remaining term.
Some leases let a tenant exit by paying a set fee — commonly one to two months’ rent — with proper notice. If your lease has one, that fee usually replaces open-ended liability, which is why this calculator adds it as a separate line.
Yes — most states release tenants without penalty for active-duty military orders (SCRA), uninhabitable conditions, landlord harassment or illegal entry, and in many states, domestic-violence situations. These are legal releases, not negotiations, so document the basis carefully.
The deposit and the break cost are separate buckets: deposits secure damages and unpaid rent, and state law controls what can be deducted and when it must be returned. A landlord can apply the deposit to what you legitimately owe, but can’t automatically forfeit it as a penalty unless the lease and state law allow it.

This calculator provides general estimates for planning purposes and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Mitigation duties and early-termination rights vary significantly by state.

Know the number.
Then end it cleanly.

BizDocs writes a lease termination agreement that fixes the move-out date, the payment, and the release of claims — so nobody re-litigates it later.

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