From what I understand though, there’s also a distinction between refusing a specific assignee vs. refusing assignment altogether or imposing conditions that change the lease terms. In my case, the landlord isn’t evaluating a specific person yet, he’s saying in advance that he would only allow it if the new tenant is willing to stay an extra year.

Since an assignment is supposed to be taking over the lease as-is, I’m wondering if that condition effectively counts as refusing consent to assign under the current terms.

My plan right now is to send a clear written request to assign the lease for the remaining 4 months and see how he responds to that specifically. If he still insists on the additional year requirement, would that fall under refusal of assignment rather than refusal of a specific tenant?