Break Lease TN -- Break In, No Longer Feeling Safe

[Brubie]

My son has a house leased in Nashville, TN. Since he signed the lease and moved in on March 1, 2011, his house has been broken into twice and things stolen. Both times have been in the middle of the day soon after he left for work or vacation.
The landlord told them they never had any problems when they lived there and recommended that add timers to their lights and televisions to keep the crooks guessing as to whether they are home or not. I do not think this will make any difference since both break-ins occurred during the day and soon after they left the premises, I suspect someone has actually seen them leave for the day.
Neither my son nor his girl friend feel safe in this house even with the alarm system set. They are concerned that this could happen some time when they are home.
Is there any way they can break their lease based on them no longer feeling safe in the home and the landlords telling them up front that they never had a problem in the area?

[AFFA]

I wish to inform you that normally for safety concerns you cannot terminate the lease. You may report the matter to law enforcement agencies. Alternatively, you may terminate the lease after giving a written notice stating your safety reasons. It is the duty of the landlord to mitigate his or her losses. You may suggest a new tenant to the landlord who could occupy your premises and pay the rent. The landlord cannot profit from this transaction. You are only responsible to keep the losses of the landlord covered if there are any.

AFF

[sandyclaus]

Originally Posted by Brubie My son has a house leased in Nashville, TN. Since he signed the lease and moved in on March 1, 2011, his house has been broken into twice and things stolen. Both times have been in the middle of the day soon after he left for work or vacation. The landlord told them they never had any problems when they lived there and recommended that add timers to their lights and televisions to keep the crooks guessing as to whether they are home or not. I do not think this will make any difference since both break-ins occurred during the day and soon after they left the premises, I suspect someone has actually seen them leave for the day. Neither my son nor his girl friend feel safe in this house even with the alarm system set. They are concerned that this could happen some time when they are home. Is there any way they can break their lease based on them no longer feeling safe in the home and the landlords telling them up front that they never had a problem in the area?

Sure they can break the lease. But the LL doesn't have to agree to it, nor do they have to let your son out of the lease without penalty.

Unless the LL is directly responsible for the break-ins, you cannot hold them liable for the consequences. The LL isn't always the best source to check for criminal activity in an area. The people who would know better about that would be the police. If your son was that concerned about moving into an area where there is a high crime level, he should have checked with police first.

If your son does decide to break the lease, he will be held liable for the remaining rent due on their lease until the lease expires, or a new tenant is found to replace him. He can also be held liable for any advertising or screening costs incurred by LL to find that new tenant.