If you owe on a prior lease, you can discharge the debt in bankruptcy. Usually, a debt owed to a former landlord for a broken lease is just unsecured and dischargeable in both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases. You will want to make sure your former landlord is listed in the case as a creditor and will receive notice of the filing.
If you are behind on current rent, you can file a Chapter 13 case to catch up on your rent through the Chapter 13 plan. If you went this route, you would pay post-filing rent on time and the pre-petition rental arrears through your plan payments. In your case, the trustee will disburse the costs to your landlord. If you are behind on rent, you can file a Chapter 7 case, but due to Chapter 7 cases not having a payment plan, there wouldn’t be a payment going to your landlord. You would have to catch up your rent directly.
If you are on a current lease and want to move or break it, you can reject the lease in Chapters 7 and 13. This would discharge your liability with the lease and notify your landlord that you are not assuming (continuing) the lease contract.
In both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases, the petition includes a section for listing contracts and leases. This is where you will put your landlord's information (name and address) and whether you are rejecting or assuming your lease.
If you have questions about bankruptcy and want a free consultation to go over your options, visit www.lifebacklaw.com to speak with an attorney. You will be glad you did!