My girlfriend and I are currently renting an apartment and are in our 4th month into a 1 yr lease. In addition to our extremely noisy and rude neighbors downstairs, there has recently been a lot of criminal activity in the area, all within a mile or so of our place.

Next week we are going to speak with the landlord and see if she is willing to come to an agreement allowing us to terminate the lease early. If, however, she is unwilling, does the amount of criminal activity in the local neighborhood and or our extreme feeling of insecurity have any legal weight pertinent to an early termination of the lease?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.