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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Midwest
    Posts
    87

    Default How to Vacate Current Lease

    My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Massachusetts

    I have a friend that needs to vacate a lease due to her living in deplorable conditions. She has made reasonable efforts to find a replacement, but her current roommates will not sign off on the new lease that would exchange my friend with the new leasee.

    Her current roommates bring illegal narcotics into the residence, party to all hours of the night (she is a current college student) and leave the house in utter filth. She has documented these events with photos and descriptions. She has filed multiple complaints with the Leasing Authority of her apartment, and they tell her there is nothing she can do because the lease cannot be terminated early.

    What is the next course of action? Where would she file a complaint and in what court?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Toledo, OH
    Posts
    16,307

    Default Re: How to Vacate Current Lease

    If her roommates are bringing illegal drugs into the home, why has she not called the police?

    She would have grounds to break her lease if her LANDLORD were responsible for deplorable living conditions - pest infestations, no heat, no hot water or no running water, lead paint, defective plumbing. (See this archived copy of the Massachusetts Sanitary Code Housing Checklist for what the landlord is responsible for.)

    Having made a poor choice in roommates is unfortunately not grounds to terminate her lease early. Her options are to leave now, but continue to pay her share of the rent until the expiration of her lease term, or to give notice at the appropriate time near the end of the lease, pay the rent for the notice period, then flee.

    I'm not unsympathetic to her situation. Most of us have Roommate From Hell stories - I can tell you some that would set your hair on fire. But crappy roommates are not sufficient grounds to breach a legally binding contract.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Midwest
    Posts
    87

    Default Re: How to Vacate Current Lease

    Thank you for your response. It was most helpful!

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