Review your lease for early termination, notice, subletting, assignment, and buyout clauses
Check your local tenant laws and landlord-tenant regulations
Give written notice as required by the lease or law
Ask your landlord for a lease termination agreement
Offer to find a replacement tenant
Request permission to sublet or assign the lease
Negotiate a lease buyout or termination fee
Document all communication with the landlord in writing
Keep paying rent until the lease is officially ended or transferred
Return the apartment in good condition
Use legal grounds if applicable, such as uninhabitable conditions, military orders, domestic violence protections, or landlord breaches
Consult a tenant attorney or local housing authority if needed