Liability if I break lease.
I and another person who I didn’t now very well recently
signed a 12-month lease/rental agreement. She has
already moved in. I have not. She cannot afford to pay
the rent by herself. Without going into detail, if the
landlord agrees to let me out of the lease, with or
without my roommate’s agreement, and I make a
serious effort to find a replacement roommate, am I
liable to my roommate for anything? Or, if I just do not
move in, and, again, make a serious effort to find a
replacement roommate this time without the approval
of either party, am I liable for anything besides a
month’s rent and possibly my security deposit?
Thanks.
Re: Liability if I break lease.
You are liable for the terms of the lease, unless you can negotiate a new agreement with the other signers of that lease, namely your friend and the landlord. A new roommate would probably be acceptable to both, but they do have to agree. Under California law, a landlord cannot “unreasonably” deny you the right to sublease, but your friend may be a tougher sell.
Chris Johnson
Christopher B. Johnson, Attorney at Law
790 East Colorado Boulevard, Ninth Floor
Pasadena, CA 91101