In most situations, if you as the tenant decide to break the lease of an apartment, there are going to be some consequences. You may lose your security deposit and have to pay additional fees for leaving early. You may also have to worry about a bad recommendation and a blemish on your credit history when you decide to do this. But there are some situations where a tenant can legally break their lease, and one of these is when the property is in violation of habitability standards.

The law requires that all landlords maintain the property in a fit and habitable condition. This will include:

# Ensuring that all of the tenants have access to running water all the time.

# Providing the proper places to dispose of garbage

# Keeping the common areas clean and safe for everyone.

# Performing all of the necessary repairs in a timely manner.

# Following all of the local and state health and safety codes.

The tenant is allowed to file a safety or health complaint if the property does not meet some of these basic requirements. If the tenant chooses to file a complaint, then there will be an inspector who comes to the property to check whether there is any merit in the complaint. If the inspector does decide there is merit to the complaint, then the landlord is sent a notice of needing to fix the problem within a certain number of days.

The tenant also has the option to file a complaint directly with the landlord. State laws will determine how long the landlord has to respond and fix the violation before the next steps are taken by the tenant. If the landlord does not fix the problem, then the tenant will be able to break their lease. They must provide a written notice to the landlord and then wait a certain number of days before moving out of the property, unless the issue requires immediate removal.

There are a lot of things to consider when it is time to pick a new apartment to call your own. You need to consider the cost of the lease, the location of the apartment, how much space you will need, and even some of the amenities that are offered. When you are in the market for a new apartment, come and check out some of our apartments near Seattle Center. We are proud to offer some amazing apartments that can check all the boxes and work well for all your needs. Come and take a look at some of our amazing apartments and see if they are right for you!