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can i get out of a 12 month house rent contract?

i am 5 months into renting a house which I have a contract for 12 months. I would like to move closer to work. The agency I rent the house from says I cant leave until the 12 months is up. Where do I legally stand?

Public Comments

1. You can leave anytime you want, but you'll probably have to pay a lot of fees.
2. stop paying the rent your landlord will soon throw you out
3. Go to your local Citizens Advice Bureau. They'll be able to tell yo your rights for sure however i think that you have the right to leave with one month written notice.
4. I rented privatly with another girl. she needed to move and was able to once she found someone to take over her lease. Another option is to buy yourself out (pay all the rent that would be due until the end of the contract) - but yeah like above that can be expensive, esp if its a agent - they may charge other fees. Speak to the agency and see what they say - even suggest a sub let if they wont let someone take over your lease if u find that person.
5. It would really depend on the contract you signed. Sometimes there is something in there about being able to break the lease, but there is usually a penalty. Take a good look through your contract / rental agreement, and take a look here: http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/76822/property_tips/breaking_a_lease_on_a_rental_agreement.html
6. I think you could check your lease usually you have to give them 2 months notice.
7. A contract is binding. You may leave but you still would be responsible for the remainder of the rent. Not paying your rent and hoping for eviction will ruin your credit and no other landlord will rent to you. Suck it up and next time think before signed a lease. You would not like it if landlord broke the contract by increasing your rent?
8. Tell them you lost your job, can't pay the rent and you want to move out. Their choice is to terminate the contract and allow you to leave or you will stay there and simply not pay the rent. Since it will take them months to get you and they actually have no way to get rent money from you (even if they were to take you to court and win, the court will not help them collect. they will have to go to court again for that - and it ain't worth it for a few thousand in back rent) they will be thrilled that you are going to move out.
9. It really depends on the contract you signed but I would think its an assured short-hold tenancy (AST) agreement which is a standard letting contract which run for either 6 or 12 months. Even though they run for 6 or 12 months they usually stipulate a notice period which must be given (usually a month or so) in order to end the tenancy. The AST may be a 12 month contract, which will normally automatically renew each year, you wouldn't sign a new one each year, the original one would automatically renew until either party (you or landlord) end the agreement which is why they tend to have cancellation clauses in them to allow either party to end the contract with a set notice period. Think about it, if you had wanted to cancel the agreement 13 months in would that mean you would have to pay the remaining 11 months rent for the 2nd year, highly unlikely. Read the tenancy agreement, you will more than likely see a cancellation clause - just because your letting agents are telling you that you cant get out of the contract for 12 months doesn't mean thats true.
10. Did you change jobs to one further away from home since you signed the lease? If that has not changed, there is no cause to ask the landlord or his agent to terminate the lease. You signed the lease knowing how far it is to work. You are obligated to complete the term or pay the contract in full. If you have good negotiating skills, you could ask to be let out of the lease. Offer to pay for the advertising or help find a new tenant. If a new tenant who meets the landlord's requirements for credit and references is found, you would be off the hook for rent for the balance of the term, but would probably lose your security deposit. You might also have to pay an early termination fee. If the landlord does not agree out of the kindness of his heart, you are stuck and have to stay for the rest of the term or pay the full lease term. Where there's a lease or rental agreement, you are under obligation for the entire term. The landlord has no obligation whatsoever to terminate early unless the lease specifically provides for an early termination.