Early Lease Termination

[Steve Moore]

I am a landlord in VA. I have a current tenant who has been good and is trying to find a home to move into. Their lease renews with me on June 1. It is a nice family neighborhood and i do not want to offer month to month rental. The tenant is hesitant to sign another lease as they are actively looking for a new home and asked what is the early termination fee if they break an annual lease agreement. Can i include a fixed fee if they terminate early? my concern is that if they leave in the winter i could be 2-3 months without a new tenant.

[Greg Scott]

Many leases include a termination fee.   As long as it is agreed up-front and in the lease correctly, there shouldn't be any problems.

Another idea for you is a month-to-month fee.   In the apartment space, it is common to charge more if a tenant goes month-to-month.     A win-win solution might be to charge some amount extra per month such that if they give the house back in the winter, you don't care because you have already made your money.  But, that gives them the flexibility to move on short notice.