Is it legal to ask for rent-free period when returning the property?

It should be judged by combining the specific contents of the lease contract with the specific reasons for withdrawing the lease. If the consequences of early termination of the lease have been clearly stipulated in the lease contract, and the deposit is not refunded, and part of the rent is deducted as liquidated damages, then such an agreement is legally binding. The lease contract is voluntarily concluded by both parties, and it has legal effect as long as the contents of the contract do not violate the mandatory provisions of laws and regulations.

If the consequences of early termination are not clearly stipulated in the lease contract, it depends on the specific situation. The lessee is not required to bear the liability for breach of contract if he withdraws the lease in advance due to serious security risks and other unforeseeable, inevitable and insurmountable objective circumstances.