The short answer
Equity Residential and AvalonBay became Vivmark Residential in August 2026, but residents may still see Equity Apartments, Avalon, or legacy company names in portals, leases, and community materials. If you need to leave early, ask the community team for the options tied to your lease: the 30-day satisfaction guarantee if eligible, an internal transfer, lease assignment, roommate replacement, approved sublet, negotiated termination, or move-out with mitigation. Do not assume that one route or fee applies across the combined portfolio.
This guide separates current official company information from building-specific examples and older online reports. The lease and the community team's current written proposal control your actual options and costs.
Brand update
Equity Residential is now part of Vivmark—but the legacy name still matters for search and paperwork.
The companies completed their merger on August 17, 2026. The announcement says the combined business is Vivmark Residential and that community names did not automatically change at closing. Current terms and contact pages also distinguish legacy Equity and legacy Avalon operations.
Practical rule: use the company name, owner entity, management contact, and notice address shown in your executed lease and current resident portal. Do not redirect a time-sensitive lease notice based only on the new parent-company name.
Evidence check
What the company publishes—and what remains lease or community specific.
| Publicly documented | Confirm for your apartment |
|---|---|
| Vivmark merger and legacy Equity/Avalon transition | The exact legal entity and notice channel on your lease |
| 30-day satisfaction guarantee with stated conditions | Whether the program still applies to the community and your lease |
| Internal Transfer Program through the community team | Old-lease termination, new application, fees, credits, security, and timing |
| Resident portal and community-specific support | Assignment, roommate replacement, sublet, termination, and release terms |
Special route · First 30 days
Check the satisfaction guarantee before building a replacement-tenant campaign.
Equity's public resident-benefits page says an eligible resident who is unhappy during the first 30 days may cancel after notifying management of the reason and expected move-out date. The move-out date must fall within 30 days from receiving the keys.
- Rent: the resident pays for the days of legal possession.
- Damage: damage beyond normal wear remains chargeable.
- Concessions: free-rent concessions cannot be applied to the rent obligation.
- Fees: application and move-in fees are retained; amenity fees are prorated; the pet fee is refunded under the published description.
Because the merger and integration are recent, get written confirmation that the guarantee remains part of your specific community's current program before relying on it.
Step 1 · Contact the community
Request every available route and a side-by-side cost comparison.
The public contact page tells current residents to use the resident portal or community manager for lease questions. It says resident relations works with management teams to respond within two business days and lists the New York–New Jersey regional office at 646-833-3960.
A concise opening request
“I need to leave apartment [number and address] around [date], before the lease ends on [date]. Please send every option available under my lease and current community policy—including the satisfaction guarantee if applicable, internal transfer, assignment, roommate replacement, sublet, negotiated termination, and re-rental—and itemize the notice, charges, applicant requirements, timeline, deposit treatment, and release date for each.”
Do not confuse the routes
An internal Equity transfer is not a transfer of your lease to another renter.
| Route | What changes | Key question |
|---|---|---|
| 30-day guarantee | Eligible new resident cancels within the published window | Does the program apply to this lease and community? |
| Internal Transfer Program | Resident seeks another Equity/Vivmark apartment | How does the old lease end and new lease begin? |
| Lease assignment | Replacement takes the remaining current lease if approved | When is the outgoing tenant released? |
| Roommate replacement | One leaseholder leaves while another remains | Who reapplies, guarantees, signs, and controls the deposit? |
| Sublet | Prime tenant leaves temporarily and remains liable | What statutory and community approval steps apply? |
| Negotiated termination | Lease ends under a written settlement | What notice, fee, concession repayment, or balance is required? |
The fastest first question is “am I staying in the portfolio?” If yes, price the internal Transfer Program against remaining in place. If no, compare assignment, replacement lease, sublet, and negotiated termination. This prevents a company-to-company move from being confused with transferring the current lease to another renter.
Permanent replacement
Ask whether the community supports assignment, replacement lease, or re-rental.
Public NYC listings describe Equity-managed assignment transactions in which the incoming renter applies directly through management. They are useful evidence that some communities process assignments, but they are not official policy and cannot establish your rent, fee, screening criteria, timing, renewal, or release.
Get the written offer
Confirm route, rent, dates, fee, application, and release.
Market only that offer
Do not promise old rent, renewal, concession, or transferability.
Close through management
The community approves the applicant and final documents.
New York assignment law still applies. Real Property Law § 226-b requires written owner consent. If consent is reasonably withheld, there is no assignment and no release. An unreasonable denial can create a potential release remedy, not a right to force the transfer.
Partial household change
A roommate replacement needs an add-and-remove plan, not a generic takeover listing.
If one leaseholder stays, identify the departing tenant, continuing tenant, incoming applicant, guarantors, occupants, and deposit contributors. Ask whether the household must requalify, whether the incoming resident joins the existing lease or signs a new one, and whether the departing tenant receives an express release.
- Qualification: will management assess the new person, the remaining household, or both?
- Guaranty: does an existing guarantor remain, consent, or need replacement?
- Security: will management reallocate the deposit or leave a private reimbursement to the tenants?
- Release: does the amendment expressly remove the departing tenant from future liability?
Temporary absence
An approved NYC sublet normally keeps the Equity/Vivmark prime tenant responsible.
For qualifying apartments in buildings with four or more residential units, § 226-b describes a certified-mail request containing the proposed term, subtenant identity and addresses, reason, tenant's temporary address, required co-tenant or guarantor consent, proposed sublease, and lease copy if available. The owner may request additional information within ten days and generally must respond within thirty days after the request or requested information is mailed.
Rent-stabilized, affordable, subsidized, and other regulated apartments can have additional restrictions. Get legal advice before relying on a disputed consent or marketing a regulated unit.
Applicant and cost preparation
Use the exact community application instead of assuming a national standard.
Equity's public unit-fee pages state that security can vary based on credit, income, rental history, employment, and other qualifying criteria. No universal current NYC income multiple surfaced. Ask for the application link and a complete cost sheet before screening or collecting documents.
- Applicant: identity, employment, income, assets, credit authorization, and rental history.
- Household: every leaseholder, adult occupant, guarantor, pet, and required disclosure.
- Costs: application, administrative, assignment, termination, move, amenity, insurance, utility, and broker charges.
- Lease economics: rent, remaining or new term, concessions, proration, deposit, and renewal treatment.
Approval and release
Finish the process in the order the documents require.
- 1
Applicant approval
Clear every income, credit, document, occupant, guarantor, pet, and condition item.
- 2
Final documents
All required parties sign the assignment, amendment, termination, or replacement lease.
- 3
Money and release
Resolve rent, fees, concessions, security, proration, and the exact end of liability.
- 4
Possession and move
Complete insurance, condition, keys, access, elevator, cleaning, and scheduling.
If no agreement is reached
New York mitigation can reduce damages, but it does not pre-approve the move.
Under Real Property Law § 227-e, a residential landlord generally must take good-faith, reasonable, and customary steps to re-rent after a tenant vacates in violation of the lease. If a new lease begins, it can terminate the prior lease and reduce recoverable damages. Disputes can remain over notice, rent before re-rental, fees, concessions, condition, and the adequacy of the re-rental effort.
Before using mitigation as the fallback, check whether a separate protected termination right or defense applies—for example, certain military, domestic-violence, senior or disability moves, or serious habitability conditions. Review the protected-exits section of the NYC guide and seek legal advice for a fact-specific claim.
Avoidable mistakes
Six ways an Equity/Vivmark exit can go off track.
- 1
Sending notice to the wrong legacy company
Use the legal entity and notice channel in the lease and current portal.
- 2
Missing the 30-day guarantee window
If potentially eligible, obtain written confirmation before the deadline.
- 3
Confusing an internal transfer with assignment
Moving to another company apartment does not automatically cancel the old lease.
- 4
Quoting an old two-month fee as current policy
Older reports are not a substitute for your lease and written options.
- 5
Ignoring the roommate structure
A partial household change needs qualification, guaranty, deposit, and release answers.
- 6
Moving after approval but before release
Applicant approval alone does not end rent responsibility or settle possession.
Process overview
An Equity/Vivmark lease exit moves through six stages.
- 1
Identify the lease entity
Confirm the owner, manager, portal, notice address, lease end, and relevant clauses.
- 2
Request all options
Compare the guarantee, internal transfer, assignment, roommate change, sublet, and termination.
- 3
Select the written route
Confirm rent, dates, charges, screening, deposit, and release requirements.
- 4
Market and apply
Find one qualified candidate and use the current community application.
- 5
Sign and settle
Complete conditions, documents, funds, security, proration, and liability end date.
- 6
Document the handoff
Finish condition, cleaning, possessions, keys, access, insurance, and the move.
What I help with
The goal is to compare the routes before committing to the wrong one.
Map the options
I organize the lease, rebrand, deadlines, costs, and questions for management.
Find the renter
I market the confirmed transaction and pre-screen the applicant.
Coordinate release
I align management, household, application, documents, money, and move.
Start with the complete NYC lease-break guide. Compare this multi-route process with the Related Rentals guide and Glenwood guide.
Frequently asked questions
Equity Residential and Vivmark lease-break questions.
Is Equity Residential now Vivmark Residential?
Yes. AvalonBay and Equity Residential completed their merger on August 17, 2026, creating Vivmark Residential. Current public pages still use Equity Apartments, Avalon, and legacy-company references, and community names did not automatically change at closing. Use the name and contact channel shown in your current lease, portal, and building communications.
Can I break an Equity Residential or Vivmark lease early?
Possibly, but no universal current NYC early-termination fee or automatic release formula surfaced in the reviewed official sources. Ask the community team for every available route: the 30-day satisfaction guarantee if you are still eligible, an internal transfer, lease assignment, roommate replacement, approved sublet, negotiated termination, or move-out with mitigation.
What is Equity Residential’s 30-day satisfaction guarantee?
Equity’s public resident-benefits page says an eligible resident who is unhappy during the first 30 days can cancel after notifying management of the reason and expected move-out date, with move-out occurring within 30 days after receiving the keys. The resident pays for days of legal possession and damage beyond normal wear; application and move-in fees are retained, amenity fees are prorated, and the pet fee is refunded. Confirm that the program still applies to your community and lease under Vivmark before relying on it.
Can I transfer to another Equity or Vivmark apartment?
Equity’s public resident-benefits page describes an internal Transfer Program and tells residents to contact their community team. An internal move is not the same as assigning your current lease to a replacement. Ask how the old lease ends, whether you must apply for the new apartment, and what notice, fees, concessions, security, qualification, or timing applies.
Does Equity Residential allow lease assignments?
Public NYC listings show that some Equity-managed communities have processed assignments, but no current official company-wide assignment policy surfaced. Treat those listings as evidence that a building-specific process may exist, not as a promise. Obtain written terms from your community team before marketing the apartment.
Can an Equity Residential roommate be replaced?
Public NYC listings also show building-approved roommate-replacement transactions in which the incoming resident applies and the departing resident seeks a formal release. That does not establish a universal rule. Tell management whether one leaseholder will remain, identify every guarantor and occupant, and ask for the exact add-and-remove procedure.
Can I sublet an Equity Residential apartment in NYC?
Ask the community team for written consent and follow your lease and New York Real Property Law § 226-b. For qualifying apartments in buildings with four or more residential units, the statute provides a written request process and says consent may not be unreasonably withheld. The prime tenant normally remains responsible throughout an approved sublet.
How much is the Equity or Vivmark lease-break fee?
No universal current NYC lease-break, assignment, roommate-replacement, or surrender fee surfaced in the official public sources reviewed. Older articles, complaints, and experiences cite different formulas, but they are not reliable current policy. Use only the options and amounts in your lease and the written proposal for your apartment.
What income does an Equity assignment applicant need?
No universal current NYC income or guarantor multiple surfaced in the reviewed official pages. Equity’s public unit-fee pages say security can vary with credit, income, rental history, employment, and other criteria. Ask the community team for the current applicant standards and application link before screening a replacement.
How do I contact Equity Residential or Vivmark about my lease?
Use the resident portal or the contact information for your community. The public contact page tells current residents to submit questions through the portal or community team and lists a New York–New Jersey regional office. Because resident matters can be discussed only with lease signers, every affected leaseholder should participate or authorize the communication as needed.
Am I released when the replacement is approved?
Not necessarily. Approval of an applicant or roommate is not itself a release. Keep paying and performing the lease until the final assignment, roommate amendment, surrender, or replacement lease states when your responsibility ends and addresses money, security, possession, and apartment condition.
What happens to the security deposit?
Equity’s public unit-fee pages show that security amounts can vary by applicant and apartment, but no universal assignment deposit-transfer method surfaced. Ask whether management returns the outgoing deposit, collects a new one, reallocates a shared deposit after a roommate change, or uses another documented method.
What if I vacate without a signed release?
You may remain responsible for rent and other lease obligations. New York Real Property Law § 227-e generally requires a residential landlord to take reasonable and customary steps to re-rent after a tenant vacates in violation of the lease, but mitigation is not advance permission to leave and does not guarantee a release on your chosen date.
Is an Equity or Vivmark internal transfer the same as assigning my lease?
No. The published Transfer Program helps a resident look for another home in the company’s portfolio. An assignment transfers the remaining interest in the current lease to an approved replacement. For an internal transfer, ask how the old lease ends, how the new lease begins, and what qualification, notice, fees, concessions, security, and timing apply to both.
How quickly should Equity or Vivmark respond to a lease question?
The public contact page says resident relations works with management teams to respond within two business days. That is a service target, not an assignment approval deadline or a guarantee that the issue will be resolved in two days. Submit through the resident portal, preserve the confirmation, and follow up with the community team if the target passes.
Sources
Current company, program, portfolio, and New York sources.
- Official Vivmark merger-completion announcement
- Vivmark Residential official website
- Equity resident benefits, satisfaction guarantee, and Transfer Program
- Equity/Vivmark resident and regional contact page
- Legacy Equity New York City apartment portfolio
- New York Real Property Law § 226-b
- New York Real Property Law § 227-e
- New York Attorney General residential tenants' rights guide
- NYC Rent Guidelines Board subletting FAQ
Reviewed October 26, 2026. This is practical information, not legal advice. The satisfaction guarantee and internal Transfer Program are published company benefits, but no current official source located for this review stated one universal NYC assignment, roommate-replacement, sublet, termination-fee, qualification, timeline, release, or deposit policy. The lease and current community instructions control.
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