Lease rule adds fees

Landlords can now impose early termination fees on residential leases, charging tenants who vacate properties early up to two months worth of rent. Tenants must examine their lease agreements carefully; there is an option to accept or reject that clause, but it may not be obvious to people renewing leases. Until this summer’s change to state law, breaking a lease was a bit of a gamble for many of Florida’s 4.5 million renters. Landlords, by law, could continue collecting rent until they found a new tenant, regardless of whether it took a few weeks or six months. Anyone who rejects the early termination clause will still be bound by the old system.