Early termination of rental agreement | Legal aid centre

Questioner

Hello, I have a question about a rental agreement. We rent an apartment for which we signed a rental agreement for 4 years. Now it is the case that my boyfriend also has a house for sale, where his ex used to live. It does not look like this house will be sold. Since his ex has now moved out, we are considering buying it, because 2 houses is no longer financially feasible. We are only stuck with that 4-year contract. Is there a possibility that we can terminate this early? I see a lot on the internet that it is possible, but that you then have to pay compensation for 3 months. What are the rules here?

Lawyer

The main rule is that the fixed-term agreement only ends after the fixed term. You are therefore obliged to serve out the agreement. Only in good consultation with your landlord is there the possibility to terminate the agreement. Some landlords are prepared to cooperate in this against payment of a sum. There are no fixed rules for the amount. It depends on the remaining term and whether the property will be rented out again soon. I could imagine that you enter into consultation with the landlord and, for example, engage an estate agent to find a new tenant (note: preferably with the landlord's permission). Good luck!