Q: I received a death threat from the man living below me. We are coworkers and there were witnesses.Can I end lease early?
I happened to move into an apartment and get a new job where I ended up living right above a hostile coworker. He has been disrespectful to many coworkers but has remain to be fired as his skill set is valuable. Recently, in front of a manager he said that if I ever took his position he would have to pay someone to kill me. This was a little over a week ago and I am seriously considering filing a police report. We have since had a meeting and he has been written up about it but I’m still very uncomfortable living directly above this man. I asked if I could end my lease 60 days from now which would be a few months earlier than planned. I explained the situation to my landlord and my request was refused. Am I legally covered in this situation if I decided to break my lease?
A: That does not provide a legal defense if you leave early, and if landlord sues you for unpaid rent for the remainder of your lease term. But landlord can only collect unpaid rent, minus any amounts collected from re-renting, and landlord has to take reasonable steps to re-rent. Even if landlord doesn't sue, landlord can make an adverse entry on your credit record, lowering your credit score and making it more difficult to rent from a landlord who checks your credit. But if that is what it takes to be safe, you might consider it. Use the Find a Lawyer tab to consult a local real estate attorney.
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