i would try to get him to quit his job, if that means telling him he's going to be fired, then so be it. it looks bad on your record if you've been fired. although, maybe he'll have a good severance package if he gets fired. let him decide. whether he finds out anonymously or not, he should know what's to come.

When I wanted to rent the house I'm currently at I had to get a reference from my employer, would the people letting his apartment ask for the same? I sorry this sounds like such a difficult situation.

Bro if that's your best friend you gotta step in. I don't know how old you are or what kind of situation you're in but no matter what that's your best friend. I would get him out to dinner or a drink and let him know just tell him about the confidentiality agreement

Talk him out of the apartment by finding things "wrong" with it. The power of suggestion is incredible.

Oooh, that sucks! Best to you and your friend, OP.

Seriously, OP? You can't figure out how to warn him without getting caught? Moral dilemas like this are how you find out who you are.

I think there might be an easier, risk-free solution: OP could explain the situation to their superior and request that the news be broken before his friend has placed a deposit on the apartment. That is assuming however, that the OP was directly told and didn't simply overhear a conversation he shouldn't have. OP, do you also happen to know the time scale of your friend being told the bad news and placing a deposit on the apartment? Because if he is going to find out beforehand anyway, I wouldn't worry about it, but there's nothing you can really do if he's already put money down. The problem with telling anyway is that the friend's reaction could very well expose OP's cover; as I imagine anyone would be pretty furious if they found out they were about to be fired just before making a huge financial commitment like that. Even if the OP tells their friend confidentially at a pub or a restaurant, the friend could very well go into the work next day with all guns blazing.

All of you who want the person who is getting fired to quit- in MA, if you quit, you don't get unemployment. If you are fired, you can file for unemployment which will at least give some sort of income until another job is found. Why is quitting the better option (unless another job is lined up)?

Unless OP's friend doesn't tell anyone and just keeps it between himself and op then how will anyone find out?

Convince your friend not to rent the apartment. Speak to the real estate agent and let them know that your friend won't be able to afford the rent and maybe they will rent it to someone else