Q: Is there a time limit to breaking a lease extension before the extension begins and can you be fined for it in Illinois?
My daughter had a 1 year lease in DeKalb IL. She signed an extension a month ago. She will not be in De Kalb after this year and informed the leasing office that she would be leaving at the end of her current lease (ends 7/27/18). They told her she would have to pay 3 months of extra rent or find someone to sublet and pay a $500 penalty.
A: A lease is a contract. Once it is signed, it is binding on both parties barring unusual circumstances. The typical lease (especially in a college town) describes what the options and penalties are for not complying with its terms. Look at the lease your daughter signed for the answer to what happens if she doesn't exercise her right to live in the unit. She can't be fined for breaking a lease (a fine is a financial sanction imposed by a unit of government), but the landlord can use the lease to impose a penalty.
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