Had To Break An Apartment Lease; Al State Law Says Owner Must Make Efforts To Re-rent; Owner Refuses Until I Pay Full Remaining Lease.

Location: Alabama, USA.

I rented an apartment in AL and signed a 18-month lease at the beginning of this year. Circumstances required me to leave the apartment early.

Every apartment I've ever lived at in my life had the same policy: if you want to break the lease early, you keep paying rent each month until the owner finds a new tenant, at which point you are released from the lease and you owe nothing more.

This apartment complex, however, has made this process difficult at every step of the way. At first, they flat-out refused to find another tenant at all, and said it was my job to find another tenant, not theirs (AL state law makes it clear, and even their own lease agreed, it was their job). I have a paper trail of emails with them proving their initial refusal.

After some arguing, they have now agreed to consider my vacated and cleaned apartment available for their new tenants, but only after I pay the whole remaining lease term (10 months of rent) up-front, and then I will get a "credit" for the months remaining after a tenant has been found and leased the apartment.

AL state law doesn't give detail about any circumstances in which an owner may refuse to make efforts to re-rent the apartment. None that apply to my situation, anyway.

I guess my question is, is it within the owner's right to demand full up-front remaining lease term payment (high four digits) and simply promise me a credit when a renter is found? I have already told the complex I am happy to pay monthly rent until a renter is found, but I don't know if I'm willing to take the risk of giving them the entire remaining lease term on nothing but their word. That makes me very vulnerable.

And if I refuse to give them the whole remaining term, I'm certain they will refuse to re-rent out my apartment. At which point, I will have to potentially sink thousands more into getting a lawyer, taking them to court, and engage in a nightmare I'm not sure I have the time or nerves for right now.

I appreciate any advice. Thank you.