Can I break my lease in Tasmania, and what does it cost?

Yes on a periodic lease, with 14 days' notice. Ending a fixed term without a legal reason costs rent.

Your clock

• 14 days: Periodic notice
• 14 days' notice: No repair in 28 days
• Court order: Serious damage or injury

The rule in Tasmania

• Periodic lease: at least 14 days' written notice, with the date served, names, address, reason and end date.
• Fixed term: 14 days' notice only if the owner did not repair in 28 days or broke the lease.
• If you leave early you owe rent until a new tenancy starts or the lease could end, plus other loss. The owner must limit the loss.
• A Family Violence Act order can end a tenancy.

A breach notice (not repairs) is void if fixed in 14 days.

What to send

I, [name], served this notice on [date]. For [address], owner [name], my tenancy ends on [date], at least 14 days from now, because [reason].

Who to call

• Magistrates Court of Tasmania (Civil Division), for appeals and orders, (03) 6165 7136
• Tenants' Union of Tasmania, 1300 652 641
• Residential Tenancy Commissioner (Consumer Affairs Tasmania), 1300 654 499

Where this comes from

• Residential Tenancy Act 1997 (Tas) ss 37 to 41, 47B, 64A

General information, not legal advice on your situation.