Form Letter: Asking Your Landlord to End Your Lease Early

This sample letter shows what you may include in a request to end your lease early as a reasonable accommodation. It is not legal advice. For legal advice specific to your situation, please talk with an attorney.

About This Sample Letter

You can use this letter to ask your landlord or property manager to allow you to end your lease early because of a disability-related need.

For example, you may need a physical change to your home, such as a widened doorway or an accessible entrance, but the modification cannot be made or is not an option for your situation. In some circumstances, ending the lease early may be requested as a reasonable accommodation so you can move to housing that meets your disability-related needs.

How to Use This Sample Letter

You can type your information into the sample letter and print it, or print the letter and fill it out by hand.

You may want to include this resource from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, which discusses reasonable accommodations in housing, including circumstances where ending a lease early may be requested.

You may want to ask your landlord or property manager to respond within one to two weeks. Once you have completed the letter, you can mail it, email it, or deliver it to your landlord or property manager. Keep a copy for your records and make a note of when you submitted your request and when you expect a response.

Sample Early Lease Termination Request Letter

[Date]

Re: Request for Early Lease Termination as a Reasonable Accommodation for [Your Name]

Address: [Your Address]

Dear [Landlord or Property Manager]:

I am a person with a disability. My disability affects my ability to [describe your disability-related limitation].

I am requesting early termination of my lease as a reasonable accommodation because of my disability-related needs. I would need the following modification to fully use and enjoy my home: [describe the physical change needed]. This modification [cannot be made in my current housing/is not an option for my situation].

Because of this disability-related barrier, I am asking to end my lease early without a penalty so that I can move to housing that meets my disability-related needs.

I am making this request as a reasonable accommodation under fair housing law. I have included information from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law about reasonable accommodations in housing.

Please respond to my request in writing within [10 business days or other date]. If you need additional information to consider my request, please let me know.

You can contact me at [Phone Number] or [Email Address]. Thank you for your time and attention to this request.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]