When one party to a lease violates that lease, the other party may have a right to terminate the lease. Either the landlord or the tenant may have the right to terminate a lease early because of the other's lease violation. A landlord terminates the lease because a tenant failed to pay rent or violated the lease in some other way. Usually, that other violation involves the tenant doing something that the tenant promised not to do in the lease, such as keeping an unauthorized pet, letting someone live in the unit who is not on the lease, disturbing the neighbors' quiet enjoyment of their property, or smoking in a non-smoking unit. Be sure to read your lease and understand what you are promising to do and what you are promising not to do.
If the tenant fails to pay rent, the landlord may terminate the lease with a 7-day notice. For more information about the 7-day notice, see 7 Day Notice. If the tenant violates the lease in any other way, the landlord may terminate the lease with a 14-day/30-day notice. For more information about the 14-day/30-day notice, see 14-Day/30-Day Notice to Tenant.
If the landlord violates the lease or Nebraska's Landlord/Tenant Laws, or if the rental property is significantly damaged, the tenant may have the right to terminate the lease early. For more information about the situations in which a tenant has the right to terminate the lease, see 14-Day/30-Day Notice to Landlord, Access, Fire/Casualty Damage, Landlords' Failure to Deliver Possession, and Illegal Eviction.
