despite being in a legally binding contract, there are situations, especially since the covid-19 pandemic, where tenants feel forced to terminate their commercial lease agreement early. while there are some exceptions, early termination of a commercial lease usually comes with penalties and fees. if the lease does not have an early termination clause, the tenant can attempt to negotiate a “lease buyout” instead. while the penalties and fees typically tied to an early termination of a long-term lease are not ideal to pay, we recognize that each tenant has its own unique reason for needing to terminate a lease early.