Source: https://ipropertymanagement.com/laws/breaking-a-lease-in-north-carolina
Timestamp: 2020-06-03 18:09:40
Document Index: 538337261

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 42', '§ 42', '§ 42', '§ 42', '§ 42', '§ 42', '§ 42', '§ 42', '§ 42']

Breaking a Lease in North Carolina [2020]: ALL Legal Reasons
Breaking a Lease in North Carolina
Find out when a tenant can legally break a lease in North Carolina, when they can’t, and whether or not a landlord is required by North Carolina law to make reasonable effort to rerent.
Before we address the legally acceptable reasons to get out a lease early without penalty, it’s important to know the notice requirements in North Carolina to end a tenancy in general.
Lease Termination Notice Requirements in North Carolina
In North Carolina, a tenant is not required to provide notice for fixed end date leases. North Carolina tenants have to provide written notice for the following lease term:
Notice to terminate a week-to-week lease. 2 days (NCGS § 42-14)
Notice to terminate a month-to-month lease. 7 days (NCGS § 42-14)
Notice to terminate a yearly lease with no end date. One month or more before the end of the current year of the tenancy. (NCGS § 42-14)
Conditions for Legally Breaking a Lease in North Carolina
There are a handful of scenarios where a tenant can legally break a lease in North Carolina without penalty. We’ll go through each of them below.
In North Carolina, the term “servicemember” means a member of the armed forces, commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, and the activated National Guard.
Every state has specific health and safety codes that provide minimum standards for rental units, and North Carolina is no different.
If those standards are not met, proper notice is given by the tenant and the repairs/fixes are still not made within the allowable time period, a tenant would be considered “constructively evicted”. As a result, the obligations of the tenant under the lease are no longer required, given that the landlord has not met their own responsibilities under North Carolina landlord-tenant law.
According to North Carolina state law, landlord duties to provide habitable premises include the following (§ 42-42):
Compliance. Comply with the current applicable building and housing codes, whether enacted before or after October 1, 1977, to the extent required by the operation of such codes; no new requirement is imposed by this subdivision if a structure is exempt from a current building code.
Repair. Make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.
Common Areas. Keep all common areas of the premises in a safe condition.
Maintenance. Maintain in good and safe working order and promptly repair all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and other facilities and appliances supplied or required to be supplied by the landlord provided that notification of needed repairs is made to the landlord in writing by the tenant, except in emergency situations.
Smoke Alarms. The landlord shall ensure that a smoke alarm is operable and in good repair at the beginning of each tenancy.
Contaminants. If the landlord is charging for the cost of providing water or sewer service pursuant to G.S. 42-42.1 and has actual knowledge from either the supplying water system or other reliable source that water being supplied to tenants within the landlord’s property exceeds a maximum contaminant level established pursuant to Article 10 of Chapter 130A of the General Statutes, provide notice that water being supplied exceeds a maximum contaminant level.
Carbon Monoxide Alarm. Provide a minimum of one operable carbon monoxide alarm per rental unit per level.
Imminently dangerous condition. Within a reasonable period of time and based upon the severity of the condition, repair or remedy any imminently dangerous condition on the premises after acquiring actual knowledge or receiving notice of the condition. The term “imminently dangerous condition” means any of the following (c. 770, s. 1; 1995, c. 111, s. 2; 1998-212, s. 17.16(i); 2004-143, s. 3; 2008-219, ss. 2, 6; 2009-279, s. 3; 2010-97, s. 6(a); 2012-92, s. 1.):
Landlord entry. In North Carolina, there is no statute for landlord entry, however, 24 hours notice is recommended.
Changing the locks. In some states, if the locks are changed by a landlord without the tenant’s permission or without the protection of specific language in the lease agreement, this can qualify as being “constructively evicted”, and could relieve the tenant of their duties of the lease. In North Carolina, landlords are not allowed to lockout tenants (NCGS § 42-25.9).
North Carolina provides tenants who are victims of domestic violence with special rental provisions for their protection. If you are confronting a domestic violence situation (this can also be stalking), and want to move, check with local law enforcement regarding special state laws that may apply in domestic violence situations. Some statutes the state of North Carolina provides for victims of domestic violence include:
Proof of Status. The landlord is entitled to verify the claim of Domestic Violence status. (NCGS § 42-42.2)
Protection from Termination. The landlord cannot terminate a tenancy, fail to renew a tenancy, or refuse to enter into a rental agreement with a victim of domestic violence. (NCGS § 42-42.2)
Early Termination Rights. A tenant is allowed to terminate a lease with 30 days written notice and proof of Domestic Violence status. (NCGS § 42-45.1)
Locks. Upon request, the landlord must change or re-key the locks, or give the tenant permission to do so, at the tenant’s expense within 48 hours if the perpetrator does not live in the same dwelling unit as the victim, and 72 hours if the perpetrator lives in the dwelling unit. If a landlord fails to change the locks within 48 hours, a tenant may do so but must give a copy of the keys to the landlord within 48 hours. (NCGS § 42-42.3)
Examples of Insufficient Justification for Lease Breaking in North Carolina
Since state landlord-tenant laws vary, the following reasons may legally permit a tenant to terminate their tenancy early in other states but are not applicable in North Carolina:
North Carolina state law does not require landlords to take reasonable steps to rerent their unit when a tenant breaks their lease.
Tenant’s Right to Sublet in North Carolina
Additional Resources for North Carolina Tenants & Landlords: