Breaking an apartment lease with caution

"Know thy leasing agreement" is what I would suggest you do before you decide to break your lease.  Best place to start is to pick your leasing agreement that you had signed when you moved into this apartment.  It will state a clause explaining what and what not to do if you decide to break your legally binded agreement.

Leases can be broken for many reasons where the landlord is at some fault with no cost or penalty to the tenant. However, if you want to break a lease based on your personal plans or needs, like buying a home, you may be held liable unless you take proper steps to protect yourself.

Keep in mind, breaking an apartment lease and then trying to apply for a home mortgage will not do you any good in getting approved for it.  This record will go on your credit report almost instantly.  So, when the bank is trying to check your credit, they will clearly see your unpaid balance to your landlord and question it right away.  Plus, your credit score will go down by at least 50-70 points due to your apartment lease break.  

If you're not sure what you should do, when it comes to breaking leases, then simply consult with your legal counsel.  Even though, the consultation fee might cost you couple hundred dollars, but at least you'll sleep just fine at night and not be worried about anything going wrong on your credit report.

Learn how to get out of lease the smart way, not the quick way.  It will hurt you in the end and might cause a lot of inconvenience in terms of buying power for you and your family.