I think, after a year and a half otherwise, I would prefer living by myself, now that I can afford to. Having nice housemates keeps me from loneliness, I guess, but more often than not I don't feel at all social, and stay sealed in my room with the fan on for white noise, usually emerging just to watch TV or play video games. :)

You raise good point about landlords inheriting my unease. I'll just fill them in frankly about the whole situation. If they say "Raar, no, you can't leave now!" and show me fine print that I signed under, I'll shrug and stay (unhappily). But it's still a month and a half until the lease is up, and they can search full-time. Well, we'll see.