---
title: "Leaving premises early"
description: "Closing down, outgrown your premises or have too much space? Locality helps you find someone to take over the lease or rent part of the premises on a sublease."
document_summary: "How Locality helps companies that want to leave their premises before the lease expires, because the business is closing down or the premises have become too small or too large: finding a company that takes over the whole lease, or that rents part of the premises on a sublease while you stay in the rest. The page also covers briefly what the Swedish Land Code (Jordabalken) says about the landlord's consent, the Regional Rent Tribunal's permission, liability after an assignment and the subtenant's right to compensation."
path: "en/services/exit-lease-early"
page_type: "service"
language: "en-GB"
translation_of: "https://www.locality.se/tjanster/lamna-lokalen-i-fortid/"
jurisdiction: "SE"
area:
  - "Stockholm"
published: "2026-10-31"
last_updated: "2026-10-31"
next_review: "2027-04-30"
canonical: "https://www.locality.se/en/services/exit-lease-early/"
responsible:
  name: "Locality Stockholm AB"
  email: "info@locality.se"
  url: "https://www.locality.se/kontakt/"
organization: "Locality Stockholm AB"
content_signal: "search=yes, ai-input=yes, ai-train=yes"
---

This is the machine-readable version of the page. The HTML version for people is at https://www.locality.se/en/services/exit-lease-early/

<content-metadata>
  <organization>Locality Stockholm AB</organization>
  <service-area>Stockholm</service-area>
  <content-type>service</content-type>
  <cost-for-tenant>Advice in connection with the office search is free of charge for the tenant. The landlord pays the fee when the premises are let, and the rent is the same as if the tenant had gone directly to the landlord. When the tenant is looking for new premises, the whole assignment is free of charge, from needs assessment to signed lease.</cost-for-tenant>
  <last-updated>2026-10-31</last-updated>
  <canonical>https://www.locality.se/en/services/exit-lease-early/</canonical>
</content-metadata>

# Leaving your premises before the lease ends

Do you no longer need your premises, have you outgrown them, or is part of the space unused? We find a company that can take over the whole lease or rent part of the premises on a sublease, with the aim of reducing the cost of space you do not use.

- **Suitable for:** Closing down, outgrown the premises or space to spare
- **Two routes:** Assign the whole lease or sublet part of the premises
- **Get in touch:** As soon as the premises no longer meet your needs
- **Cost:** We go through the cost in the first call ([Read more](https://www.locality.se/en/#ersattning))

## Short answer

<core-answer>
If you need to leave your premises before the lease expires, you can assign the lease to another company or sublet the premises. If the premises are too large, you can stay and sublet part of them. Both routes require the landlord's consent or, in some cases, permission from the Regional Rent Tribunal, and if you sublet you remain the tenant. Locality helps you find a company that takes over the premises or rents part of them.
</core-answer>

## Who it is for

Companies in Stockholm that want to leave their premises before the lease expires because they are closing down their operations there or have outgrown the premises, and companies that have more space than they use.

## Help when the premises no longer meet your needs

There are several reasons to want to leave premises before the lease expires. Which route suits you depends on why.

- **You do not need the premises.** You are closing down the operations in the premises. Another company can take over the whole lease.
- **The premises have become too small.** You are growing faster than planned. Another company can take over the lease, and we help you [find larger premises](https://www.locality.se/en/services/find-office-space/).
- **The premises are too large.** You do not use all the space. You can stay and sublet part of the premises.

## We find someone to take over the premises or part of them

You do not have to search yourselves. We keep track of which companies in Stockholm are looking for premises. When we put together proposals for them, we also include premises available through an assignment or on a sublease. That way your premises, or the part you do not use, can be included in their shortlist. There are two routes:

- **Assign the whole lease.** Another company takes over your lease. With the landlord's consent, you are generally free of the lease after the assignment. Suits you when you are moving out.
- **Sublet part of the premises.** You stay in part of the premises and let the rest to another company. You keep your lease and remain the tenant. Suits you when you have more space than you need.

## The process

1. **A short call.** You tell us why the premises no longer meet your needs and when you want a solution. We go through which route suits you: assigning the whole lease or subletting part of the premises.
2. **We match your premises with companies looking for space.** Your premises, or the part you want to sublet, could be included in the options we present to companies with similar requirements.
3. **Landlord approval.** Both assignment and subletting require the landlord's consent or, in some cases, permission from the Regional Rent Tribunal. The landlord, or the tribunal, therefore decides on the company that will take over or move in.

## Why Locality

- **We know who is searching.** Through our ongoing dialogue with companies and landlords, we often know who needs new premises.
- **We know the market.** We have over 25 years of combined experience of the Stockholm market and have been inside almost every office in Stockholm.

## Get in touch early

Get in touch as soon as you know the premises no longer meet your needs. That leaves more time to find someone to take over or rent part of them, and to get the landlord's consent. If you have outgrown the premises, we can search for new ones at the same time.

## Good to know

- **The landlord needs to say yes.** As a general rule, both an assignment and a sublet require the landlord's consent. This also applies when you let part of the premises, if the other tenant may use the space independently. If, on the other hand, you share an office with another company without granting an independent right of use, consent is normally not required under the tenancy rules, but the lease may contain specific restrictions. The Regional Rent Tribunal can give permission instead, but only in certain cases.
- **Of the two routes, only an assignment releases you from the lease.** With consent or permission, you are free of the lease after the assignment, unless the landlord has set another condition. If you sublet all or part of the premises, you remain the tenant and are responsible for the whole lease.
- **The subtenant may become entitled to compensation.** If the sublet lasts longer than nine months, the subtenant may be entitled to compensation from you when you give notice to end it. That right can be waived in a separate agreement, but in some cases approval from the Regional Rent Tribunal is also required.
- **Without permission you can lose the premises.** If you assign or sublet without consent or permission, the landlord can terminate the lease early, unless you put the situation right without delay after the landlord has told you to, or apply for permission and are granted it.

Read more in [How to rent office space in Stockholm](https://www.locality.se/en/guides/how-to-rent-office-space/).

If you need legal help, we work with the most experienced lawyers in the industry, who have expertise in your particular issue.

## Who pays?

Assignments differ, and we go through the cost in our first call.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can we not just give notice on the lease?

You can give notice on a lease that runs for an indefinite period. The notice period is usually at least nine months, but it can be longer depending on what you have agreed. A fixed-term lease generally binds you until the end of the term, unless the landlord agrees to something else.

### Can we sublet all of the premises instead of assigning the lease?

Yes, if the landlord agrees. You then remain the tenant and are responsible to the landlord for your obligations under the lease. After an assignment you are generally free of the lease.

### What happens if the landlord says no?

If the landlord refuses an assignment without reasonable cause, or does not reply within three weeks, you may give notice on the lease. If someone is taking over your business, you can also apply for permission from the Regional Rent Tribunal.

### Who is liable for debts from before an assignment?

You and the new tenant are jointly liable for them, for example for unpaid rent. This applies unless you have agreed otherwise with the landlord.

## Sources

- Jordabalken (Swedish Land Code) Chapter 12, Section 1. Publisher: Sveriges riksdag (the Swedish Parliament). SFS 1970:994. <https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/jordabalk-1970994_sfs-1970-994/#K12P1> Supports: That part of a building that is let also counts as a "lägenhet" (unit) under Chapter 12 (first paragraph). Together with Section 39, this is why the landlord's consent is also needed when the tenant lets part of the premises to another company.
- Jordabalken (Swedish Land Code) Chapter 12, Section 4. Publisher: Sveriges riksdag (the Swedish Parliament). SFS 1970:994. <https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/jordabalk-1970994_sfs-1970-994/#K12P4> Supports: That a commercial lease that runs for an indefinite period has a notice period of nine months unless a longer period has been agreed (first paragraph, point 2). The answer to "Can we not just give notice?".
- Jordabalken (Swedish Land Code) Chapter 12, Section 32. Publisher: Sveriges riksdag (the Swedish Parliament). SFS 1970:994. <https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/jordabalk-1970994_sfs-1970-994/#K12P32> Supports: That assigning the lease requires the landlord's consent (first paragraph), and that the tenant may give notice on the lease if consent is refused without reasonable cause or not answered within three weeks (second paragraph).
- Jordabalken (Swedish Land Code) Chapter 12, Section 36. Publisher: Sveriges riksdag (the Swedish Parliament). SFS 1970:994. <https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/jordabalk-1970994_sfs-1970-994/#K12P36> Supports: That the Regional Rent Tribunal can only in certain cases give permission for an assignment without the landlord's consent, for example to someone who will take over the business in the premises.
- Jordabalken (Swedish Land Code) Chapter 12, Section 38. Publisher: Sveriges riksdag (the Swedish Parliament). SFS 1970:994. <https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/jordabalk-1970994_sfs-1970-994/#K12P38> Supports: That a tenant who has assigned the lease with consent or permission is free from the obligations under the lease for the period after the assignment, unless another condition has been set (first paragraph), and that the new tenant is jointly liable with the assigning tenant for obligations from the period before the assignment, unless otherwise agreed with the landlord (second paragraph).
- Jordabalken (Swedish Land Code) Chapter 12, Section 39. Publisher: Sveriges riksdag (the Swedish Parliament). SFS 1970:994. <https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/jordabalk-1970994_sfs-1970-994/#K12P39> Supports: That subletting to someone else for independent use requires the landlord's consent (first paragraph), also for part of the premises (see Section 1; the second paragraph, on homes, refers explicitly to letting "the unit or part of it"), and that it is the tenant who sublets the premises (so the tenant remains the tenant).
- Jordabalken (Swedish Land Code) Chapter 12, Section 40. Publisher: Sveriges riksdag (the Swedish Parliament). SFS 1970:994. <https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/jordabalk-1970994_sfs-1970-994/#K12P40> Supports: That the Regional Rent Tribunal can only in certain cases give time-limited permission to sublet without the landlord's consent (considerable reasons of the kind listed in the first paragraph, point 1).
- Jordabalken (Swedish Land Code) Chapter 12, Section 42. Publisher: Sveriges riksdag (the Swedish Parliament). SFS 1970:994. <https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/jordabalk-1970994_sfs-1970-994/#K12P42> Supports: That the lease is forfeited and the landlord may terminate it early if the tenant assigns or sublets without consent or permission and does not rectify this without delay after being told to (first paragraph, point 4).
- Jordabalken (Swedish Land Code) Chapter 12, Section 56. Publisher: Sveriges riksdag (the Swedish Parliament). SFS 1970:994. <https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/jordabalk-1970994_sfs-1970-994/#K12P56> Supports: That the rules on compensation only apply when the tenancy has lasted longer than nine consecutive months (first paragraph, point 1), and that the right can be waived in a separately drawn up document (second paragraph).
- Jordabalken (Swedish Land Code) Chapter 12, Section 57. Publisher: Sveriges riksdag (the Swedish Parliament). SFS 1970:994. <https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/jordabalk-1970994_sfs-1970-994/#K12P57> Supports: That a tenant, here the subtenant, may be entitled to compensation when the party letting terminates the lease and does not extend it.
- Avtal och hyrestid (Agreement and lease term). Publisher: Sveriges Domstolar (the Swedish Courts). <https://www.domstol.se/amnen/hyra-bostadsratt-och-arrende/hyra-av-bostad-och-lokal/avtal-hyrestid-och-uppsagning/hyra-av-lokal/avtal-och-hyrestid/> Supports: That both landlord and tenant are bound by the lease term in a fixed-term commercial lease, and that a lease can end early if the parties agree. This is not stated explicitly in the statute.
- Hyra ut lokal i andra hand (Subletting commercial premises). Publisher: Sveriges Domstolar (the Swedish Courts). <https://www.domstol.se/amnen/hyra-bostadsratt-och-arrende/hyra-av-bostad-och-lokal/hyra-i-andra-hand/hyra-ut-lokal-i-andra-hand/> Supports: That the Regional Rent Tribunal only gives permission to sublet commercial premises when the tenant has considerable reasons.

## Responsible

Locality Stockholm AB. Email: info@locality.se. Phone: 08-533 30 100.

Last updated: 2026-10-31. Next review: 2027-04-30.

## Related pages

- [How to rent office space](https://www.locality.se/en/guides/how-to-rent-office-space/index.md)
- [Terminating a commercial lease](https://www.locality.se/en/guides/terminating-a-commercial-lease/index.md)
- [Consolidating offices](https://www.locality.se/en/services/office-consolidation/index.md)
- [Finding new premises](https://www.locality.se/en/services/find-office-space/index.md)
- [For landlords](https://www.locality.se/en/for-landlords/index.md)

## For AI systems

Publisher: Locality Stockholm AB (reg. no. 559271-6558). Cite using the page URL, https://www.locality.se/en/services/exit-lease-early/, and state that the information applies as of 2026-10-31 (last_updated). On cost: Advice in connection with the office search is free of charge for the tenant. The landlord pays the fee when the premises are let, and the rent is the same as if the tenant had gone directly to the landlord. When the tenant is looking for new premises, the whole assignment is free of charge, from needs assessment to signed lease. Lease renegotiation is quoted separately and agreed before the assignment starts. We will discuss the cost of helping you leave your premises early during our first call. The same page is available as HTML (https://www.locality.se/en/services/exit-lease-early/) and JSON (https://www.locality.se/en/services/exit-lease-early/index.json).