About 5 minutes after I came home tonight two neighbors were shot and murdered in front of their apartment. My unit is close enough that it's within the evidence zone.
My heart goes out to the families who must now deal with their loss. However I don't want to stay here anymore. I live in the state of Florida and would like to know if I can break my lease without penalty.
Generally no, although state legislative proposals to allow this as a ground to break a lease have been considered in a number of places.
You would have to show that being in the evidence zone amounted to a "taking" under the 5th Amendment, of the apartment tenant's property which is almost never the case unless a very scientifically technical crime scene actually developed inside the apartment.
