# Breaking a Lease With a Special: Concession Repayment (TX) > Leaving early after free rent? What a Texas concession addendum may require you to repay, early-exit fees, the separate military right, and Break-or-Wait. URL: https://newapartmentsfortworth.com/guide/breaking-a-lease-with-a-special-texas/ Last-Modified: 2026-10-26 Guide # Breaking a Lease That Came With a Special: Concession Repayment in Texas Leaving early after free rent? What a Texas concession addendum may ask you to repay, how early-exit and reletting fees stack on top, the separate military right, and how to weigh breaking against waiting. Written by New Fort Worth Apartment Team [/about/#new-fort-worth-apartment-team →](/about/#new-fort-worth-apartment-team) · Updated October 26, 2026 ![Moving boxes stacked by the door of a bright new apartment](/images/featured/moving-boxes-stacked-by-the-door-of-a-bright-new-a.webp) ## What happens to the special if you leave early? Most leases with a special come with a concession addendum. It records the free rent you got and often says what happens if you leave before the lease ends. If your lease was one of the deals on our Fort Worth apartment specials [/fort-worth-apartment-specials/ →](/fort-worth-apartment-specials/) page, the addendum is the first document we’d read. The most common term is repayment. If you break the lease, the addendum may ask you to pay back some or all of the free rent. Some prorate it by months remaining. Others ask for the full amount. These clauses vary, and some may be challenged depending on the wording and the facts. We never assume one is unenforceable, and we never call one illegal. ## What can you owe when you leave early? Leaving early can trigger more than one charge. Here’s how they usually stack: | Charge | Where it’s written | How it’s figured | | --- | --- | --- | | Concession repayment | Concession addendum | Full or prorated free rent | | Early termination fee | Lease, early-exit clause | Set fee or a number of months’ rent | | Reletting fee | Lease | Often a percentage of one month’s rent | | Rent until re-leased | Lease | Monthly rent until a new resident moves in | Not every lease uses all four. The early-exit clause usually works one of two ways: a set fee that releases you, or ongoing liability until the unit is re-leased. Either way, we total every line before you decide. > **The military right is separate** > > Federal and Texas law give a separate termination right for qualifying military orders. It isn’t the same as the lease’s early-exit clause. Read the military clause, the early-exit clause, and the concession addendum together. ## Should you break the lease or wait it out? ![Break vs. wait cost comparison graphic](/images/content/break-versus-wait-cost-comparison-graphic-for-leav.webp) It comes down to two totals. Here’s a labeled illustration with made-up numbers: | | Break now | Wait it out | | --- | --- | --- | | Months left on the lease | 4 | 4 | | Exit fee | $1,320 | $0 | | Concession repayment | $900 | $0 | | Rent at the current place | $0 | 4 × $1,274 = $5,096 | | Rent at the new place, same 4 months | 4 × $1,180 = $4,720 | $0 | | Total | $6,940 | $5,096 | In this example, waiting costs about $1,844 less. The answer changes with the numbers, especially if the new place has a deep special or your job requires the move. The Break-or-Wait [/tools/break-or-wait/ →](/tools/break-or-wait/) tool runs your own figures. Our guide on getting the special in writing [/guide/getting-the-special-in-writing/ →](/guide/getting-the-special-in-writing/) shows where the repayment terms sit in the addendum. ## What should you do before giving notice? Here are the steps we’d follow, in order: 1. **Read the concession addendum.** Note the repayment amount and whether it’s prorated. 2. **Read the early-exit clause.** Note the fee and whether it releases you. 3. **Check for a military or other statutory right** if one may apply to you. 4. **Ask about a transfer or a sublet.** Some communities allow them. 5. **Get a written payoff quote** from the office before you commit. 6. **Run Break-or-Wait** with the real numbers. ## Questions to ask the office before you decide Before you give notice, a short email to the leasing office can save money. Ask: 1. What is the exact payoff amount if I leave on a specific date? 2. Is the concession repayment prorated, and how? 3. Does paying the early termination fee release me from future rent? 4. Is there a reletting fee, and is it separate from the termination fee? 5. Can I transfer to another unit or a sister property instead? 6. Can I sublet or assign the lease, and what does that cost? 7. Will my deposit be applied to what I owe? Get the answers in writing, with the date. Then put them into Break-or-Wait alongside the new place’s true monthly. If the numbers are close, waiting and giving proper notice is usually the lower-risk path. ## How do you avoid this next time? Before you sign at a new building, we read the concession and fee addenda with you and flag repayment terms. Our guide on lease red flags [/guide/lease-red-flags-new-build/ →](/guide/lease-red-flags-new-build/) lists what to check. If you might move within a year, a smaller special without a repayment clause can be the lower-risk choice. ## Learn more about Fort Worth Apartment Specials We'll text you within minutes during our hours, then send a same-day shortlist. See the page [/fort-worth-apartment-specials/ →](/fort-worth-apartment-specials/) ## Questions renters ask about this ### Do I have to pay back free rent if I break my lease? Many concession addenda say so. The terms vary, and some may be challenged depending on the wording, so read your addendum and ask us to review it. ### Does the military clause cover this? Military termination rights for qualifying orders are separate from the lease's early-exit clause. The concession addendum may still address repayment, so read all of them together. ### How do I know if breaking is worth it? Run Break-or-Wait with your months left, current monthly cost, exit fee, repayment amount, and the new place's true monthly. It shows both totals side by side. ### Can I transfer to another unit instead of breaking? Some communities allow transfers within the property, sometimes with a fee. It's worth asking before you give notice. ### Do you guarantee the price or my approval? No. The community sets both pricing and approval, and we confirm them in writing before you sign. ## Related guides Guide ### Lease Red Flags to Check Before You Sign at a New Build A pre-signing checklist for new-build leases: concession repayment, RUBS, required fees, renewal terms, early exit, the separate military right, late fees, and the signed flood notice. [Lease Red Flags to Check Before You Sign at a New Build →](/guide/lease-red-flags-new-build/) Guide ### 12-Month vs. 15-Month Lease When a Special Is Offered When a special only applies to a 14 to 16-month term, compare net effective by term, where your renewal lands, and your year-two exposure. A worked example and a calculator. [12-Month vs. 15-Month Lease When a Special Is Offered →](/guide/12-month-vs-15-month-lease-special/) Guide ### Getting the Special in Writing: Concession Addenda and Ledger Checks The steps to lock in an advertised special: the concession addendum, end-date checks before you sign, and day-7 and day-30 ledger checks if the credit is missing. [Getting the Special in Writing: Concession Addenda and Ledger Checks →](/guide/getting-the-special-in-writing/) Guide ### How a Weeks-Free Special Works Out Per Month N weeks free equals base × 12 ÷ 52 × N. Here's the math on a dated example: $1,320 base with 6 weeks free on 12 months is about $1,168 a month (Oct 25, 2026). [How a Weeks-Free Special Works Out Per Month →](/guide/how-a-weeks-free-special-works-out/) ## Where to use this ![Printed move-in special flyer beside a calculator and lease folder](/images/content/printed-apartment-move-in-special-flyer-beside-a-c.webp) Find ### Fort Worth Apartment Specials Confirmed move-in specials at new buildings, each with base and year two beside it. Open [Fort Worth Apartment Specials →](/fort-worth-apartment-specials/) ![Aerial view of new apartment communities across the Fort Worth side](/images/content/aerial-view-of-new-apartment-communities-spread-ac.webp) Find ### New Build Board A map and cards for every new community in scope, with the whole price on each card. Open [New Build Board →](/new-construction-apartments/) ![New apartment community in lease-up with a few furnished balconies](/images/content/new-apartment-community-in-lease-up-with-a-few-fur.webp) Find ### Lease-Up Apartments Buildings in lease-up, with stage, fill curve, and what's actually finished. Open [Lease-Up Apartments →](/lease-up-apartments-fort-worth/) Free to you · Your rent is the same either way ## Get the whole price before you tour Tell us your move date, budget, and where you need to be. We'll make the calls, collect the fee sheets, and do the math for every building that fits. Get my shortlist [/contact/ →](/contact/) See the New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) What happens next: We'll text you within minutes during our hours, then send a same-day shortlist. We don't guarantee pricing or approval. The community sets both, and we confirm them before you sign.