I am trying to break my lease over a violation of the warranty of habitability. Management agreed to break my lease, but only on condition that the apartment gets a new tenant and that I forfeit my security deposit. They hold me liable for rent until then. I’m trying to find a way to break myself out of rent liability, as I have fully vacated the apartment and am no longer living there.
I would like some advice regarding what to do. Up until now, I’ve been given advice to (1) simply give them all the keys I have to the apartment along with a letter explaining why I vacated and just stop paying (and simply countersue if they try suing me, which I’ve been told they likely won’t), (2) proactively sue them either for (a) a rent reduction or (b) a total lease breakage (and potentially risk being placed on a “tenant blacklist”), or (3) try to negotiate with the management company to pay only a couple months instead of the full remaining term until they find a new tenant.