Does your lease have an early termination fee or allow for subletting?

The information you need will be in your lease agreement. Time to dig it out and start reading.

Generally, there is a fee for leaving a lease early. Years ago, it used to be equivalent to half or a full months rent. These days, I see more people complaining that you're on the hook for rent until they can find another tenant which could, theoretically, be until next December. Your lease agreement will have the details as well as how to move forward with doing it if you truly want to.

While looking, if you find it would be financially impossible to break the lease, look for information in the agreement about subletting the apartment. If it's possible (it's not guaranteed to be an option), you might be able to rent out the apartment to someone else for the duration of your lease.

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I am sorry to hear about the passing of your stepfather. Regarding the lease, you should first read the lease carefully to see if there is a provision for early termination of the lease in the event of an unforeseen circumstance. If there is no such provision, you will need to speak with your landlord to explain your situation and request an early termination of the lease. Often, the landlord may require you to pay a fee for early termination, such as liquidated damages or a portion of the unexpired rent. If your landlord agrees to terminate the lease early, make sure you have a written agreement with him/her to avoid any disputes in the future. If your landlord does not agree to end the lease early, you may need to consult a local legal professional for additional help.

It depends on your state. Some states allow you to break a lease without a penalty if you have to be a caregiver to someone requiring you to move, or if you join the military active duty, your job relocates you a certain distance away, ect. look up the laws in your state. Search Tenant's Right to Break a Rental Lease in such and such state.