Walk It Through: The Lease That Ends Early

30 days' rent after a change of assignment, and 2 months' rent after a medical move.

A service member and spouse sign a residential lease, and orders arrive for a permanent change of station.

Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.

One military family and one tenant moving for care. Ending a lease because of abuse, the landlord's other remedies, and claims for damage to the unit are not worked through here.

A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.

Words this turns on

Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.

Change of assignmentOrders an active service member receives, such as permanent change of station orders, temporary duty orders for a period exceeding 90 days, or a release from active duty. After written notice and proof, the rent owed may not exceed what is then due plus 30 days' rent and the cost of repairing damage the tenant caused.