No matter how well you may plan out your life, sometimes, things change in a heartbeat and you are left with a lease you just can’t honor. It could be that you simply can’t make the rent payments any longer or it could be that you need to move to another town, state or country. No matter what our reason is, here are a few tips to help make this unfortunate transition easier.

First off, be honest with your landlord or management company. Tell them about your situation as soon as humanly possible so they can begin advertising for your place right away. One big mistake many renters make is that they view their landlord in an adversarial way in this instance. It is true that they probably won’t be happy you are breaking your lease, but they also understand that you’re an adult and sometimes things happen. Be up front about your situation and the move out will be much more pleasant for everyone involved.

Understand that you are probably going to lose your security deposit. This is where being honest might help you though. If you are breaking your lease because of an illness in your family and you need to move back home, your landlord or management company may take pity on you, especially if you’ve been a good tenant up to this point. Be honest, apologize and offer to fix up the apartment in any way you can before you leave. This process is all about attitude; a positive one will go a lot farther than a negative one.

Finally, don’t be afraid to talk to a lawyer if your landlord threatens you or informs you that you have to pay extra to break your lease. The worst thing that should be able to happen to you is that you lose your deposit. Any other fees or threats of being locked out are most likely against the law. The last thing you want to worry about when your life has just been thrown a curveball is talking to a lawyer, but you have rights, don’t let them get trampled.