Depends on the laws where you live and what is actually stated in your lease agreement. Take a look at this Q & A http://www.answerbag.com/q_view.php/3945 Also check out http://www.nolo.com which has state specific links for the U.S. In most cases, it is okay to break a lease if the leased property is not being maintained as stated by the lease contract you have with your landlord. However, which maintenance items are considered urgent varies. As for notice. I am certain your lease states what amount/type of notice is required to vacate the property. You are required to give notice in most cases. If the LL didn't give you notice, I am sure that would not make you happy. Plus, when (and if) you go to court, the judge will likely call you on that and say you didn't adhere to the terms of your lease any better than your LL. Give notice as defined by your agreement. No one is stopping you from moving elsewhere in the meantime. Your deposit will be returned to you if the leased property is left in the condition in which it was found (not including the maintenance items your LL has failed to do of course). Sometimes not giving notice is an automatic forfeiture of your deposit (rare, but I have seen this). There really isn't enough info. here to give you a definitive answer. We don't know what the maintenance is, how long you have rented the property, what is in your rental/lease agreement, et cetera. Best bet is to contact an attorney. Hope this helps though. Good luck!