Am I responsible for my roommate’s rent if she is moving out early?
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Am I responsible for my roommate’s rent if she is moving out early?
My roommate and I live in a townhome but we do not have a signed lease/contract. My roommate is moving out on the 15th and paid her rent through then. I planned on moving out on the 31st and paid my half through then. The owner is asking me to pay the rest of my roommate’s rent. I do not want to have to pay it, since we don’t have a lease. If I move out on the 15th instead, will there be any legal repercussions for me? I paid my rent through the 31st. There is no verbal contract or requirement of any specific time for a move out notice.
Asked on January 11, 2012 under Real Estate Law, North Carolina
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
If your roommate and you are on an oral month-to-month lease where both of you give your landlord timely written notice that you are ending nyour lease, but you plan on staying a bit longer than your roommate in possession of the rental, you owe the full amount of the rental on a pro-rated basis while you occupy the unit.
Depending on the notice given to the landlord as to your move out date, there could be some issues as to you owing through the 31st of this month. I suggest that you have a face to face meeting with your landlord about the situation to prevent any surprises.
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