The follow are SUGGESTIONS on how to avoid A ROOMMATE DISPUTE
The following are a series of recommendations to help prevent a roommate dispute. They are not actions mandated by law, nor are they intended to be a substitute for legal advice.
Many acquaintances enter into a roommate situation with high hopes and positive expectations. Especially where roommates are also friends, they believe that everything will go smoothly and that all they need is “an understanding” between them. However, people change; circumstances change; best friends do not always make the best roommates. It is wise to treat the mechanics of roommating as a business relationship in order to protect the personal relationships.
FORMING A NEW HOUSEHOLD
Often the basis of disputes is a lack of good communication or a mismatch of expectations between roommates. To minimize misconceptions and false expectations, we recommend:
A. That potential roommates thoroughly discuss with each other the needs, expectations, and general ground rules that they wish to establish in a shared household prior to moving in together and signing a lease. This applies equally to a situation where a new roommate moves into an established household.
B. That roommates draw up and sign a roommate agreement which spells out their rights and obligations to each other, including, for example:
1. Date of agreement.
2. Name of roommates.
3. Address of property.
4. Portion of rent and utilities to be paid by each roommate.
5. Total amount of security deposit paid and portion of that deposit paid by each roommate.
6. Agreement that each roommate will pay for damages caused by him/her or his/her guests.
7. Agreement that each roommate will pay a specific share of the cost of the household or due under the lease.
8. Agreement that each roommate, if he/she needs to move out prior to the end of the lease term, will continue to pay his/her share of the rent for a certain period of time (usually until the end of the lease term) unless he/she obtains the permission of the landlord and replaces himself/herself with another tenant acceptable to the other roommates.
9. Any other agreements that the roommates think are appropriate.
10. Signatures of all roommates.
The roommate agreement is just that: an agreement among the roommates. IT IS NOT BINDING UPON THE LANDLORD. The lease is the agreement between tenants who signed the lease and the landlord. Tenants need to pay particular attention to any liability which they have to the landlord.
C. If problems do arise, and it is almost inevitable that some will, roommates should talk to each other and try to work them out when they occur rather than wait until problems build up into unresolvable resentments.
CHANGING ROOMMATES
Perhaps the most common problem that arises occurs when one roommate in a household needs to move out. When a roommate leaves before the end of a lease term, great care is needed to minimize confusion and to avoid incurring additional liabilities.
Any tenant who has signed the lease is responsible for the rent for the entire duration of the lease whether he/she lives in the premises or not. If more than one person has signed the lease, each person individually and all persons collectively is/are responsible for paying the rent in full. If one roommate moves out and does not pay his/her share of the rent, the other roommates must pay the rent in full, or they will be subject to eviction for nonpayment of rent. Those roommates must then look to the nonpaying roommate for the rent they paid on his/her behalf.
The following is a list of procedures for departing roommates that will help prevent problems. A roommate who is planning to move before the end of the lease term should:
A. TALK TO THE OTHER ROOMMATES ABOUT HIS/HER INTENTION TO MOVE.
B. READ THE LEASE TO SEE HOW THE LEASE WILL AFFECT HIS/HER DECISION:
— Is the permission of the landlord required before the tenant can sublet or assign?
— Are there any special conditions that must be met?
— Is there a restriction that only those persons named in the lease can occupy the premises?
— Is subletting/assignment prohibited? If the lease doesn’t prohibit subletting or assignment, it is allowed. If the lease prohibits subletting, the landlord cannot unreasonably refuse to sublet.
C. DISCUSS WITH THE ROOMMATES HOW TO ARRANGE FOR A REPLACEMENT ROOMMATE:
What type of person would be acceptable to the other roommates (reasonable criteria)?
Who will arrange and pay for advertising?
Who will receive calls and show the unit?
Agreement by departing roommate to continue paying rent until new roommate is found and begins tenancy.
TALK THE LANDLORD TO FIND OUT HOW THE LANDLORD WOULD LIKE TO HANDLE:
Landlord’s approval of new tenant.
New tenant’s relationship to the lease.
Old and new tenant’s security deposits.
NOTE: Even if the lease does not require the landlord’s permission to sublet, it is to the tenants benefit to communicate and work things out with the landlord
D. CONTRACT
SUBLETTINGIf you have a roommate dispute that you can’t resolve , I would suggest going to a conflict mediator to help you solve your issue.
