Lease dictionary
Default
Breaking a lease obligation - most often missing rent - which triggers the lease's penalty clauses.
You're 'in default' when you violate a lease term: unpaid rent, an unauthorized pet or occupant, chronic noise. Default is the trigger that lets the landlord pursue remedies - late fees, a cure-or-quit notice, eventually eviction.
Most states force the landlord to give you written notice and a chance to fix ('cure') the problem before anything escalates.
Watch out
Leases sometimes define default absurdly broadly. A clause making any minor rule violation grounds for immediate eviction rarely holds up - but it's a red flag about the landlord.
See it in action
The Lease red-flag checker puts this term to work for you.