Tenants Asking to Break Lease Due to Threats

[JJ Jameson]

Thanks in advance, this is a long post!  My tenants requested to break their lease due to threats made by one of their family members ex-boyfriend.  Apparently this ‘ex’ worked with my tenant and was fired for making threats.  My tenant’s wife is pregnant and they also have a toddler.  They say the house is being watched and that a shooting occurred outside the house, however have not verified.  The only evidence they provided is an email from the employer that said the man was fired.  No police report.

A side note is I discovered these tenants had 3 unauthorized dogs in the house a few weeks ago and served them notice of lease violation.  They said they remedied and I did and inspection. 

Anyway, I am willing to let them out of the lease as I don’t want to risk anyone getting hurt.  They have been there 5 months of the 12 month lease.    My lease states the penalty for early termination is 30 day notice and 2 months rent.  They have paid July rent already and I have 1 months deposit, which would cover the penalty.  

I feel bad for these folks and want them to feel safe, so I’m looking for guidance before I tell them they can break but I will keep July and the deposit per the lease agreement.  Are there any legal issues with this?  Thank you!!

[Nathan Gesner]

The law requires you to allow early termination without penalty IF there is an unsafe situation. However, they've provided zero evidence of an unsafe condition. The more likely scenario is that they got caught with three unauthorized dogs and are making something up so they can move to a pet-friendly rental.

They heard a gun shot? More likely a firecracker this time of year. Even if it were a gun shot, there's no evidence it had anything to do with them. 

House is being watched? Where are the pictures or video?

Have they filed a police report? Asked for a no-stalking order, no contact order, or trespass order? Of course not.

They claim the situation is unsafe, yet they haven't even taken the time to call the police and file a simple report so the cops can look into it. That's pretty strong evidence they created a fantasy to escape your lease and no-pet policy.

My response would be simple:

Dear Tenant,

You failed to provide any evidence of an unsafe situation in the home. I can only allow early termination in accordance with the lease.

Sincerely,

Not a fool