What to Do if Your Roommate Won't Sign a Lease Release
I live in Michigan and three years ago my at the time fiancé and college roommate signed a lease. At the time we all verbally agreed that she could live with us until I graduated college. Last year when we renewed our year lease, we once again verbally agreed that she could live with us until the year lease was up.
Two weeks ago I talked to her to verify that she was going to sign the lease release so my now husband and I can renew the lease with out her. She said that she was looking at places and waiting to be approved, but would sign the lease release so we could renew our lease.
Now she has decided that she will not sign the lease release until she has decided what she is doing, which none of us agreed to. Our lease renewal is due May 10th and if we don't sign we will be paying market value on a month to month basis, which my husband and I cannot afford.
How can I legally get her to sign the lease release in time for us to renew our lease? If she doesn't sign the lease release, is she obligated to sign a new yearly lease with us so we can keep the lease?
Re: Roommate Won't Sign Lease Release
Speak to your landlord about the situation. It may be that, even if the roommate has not signed a release, your landlord will allow you to commit to a lease renewal and will also execute a lease that omits your former roommate in the event that she does not appear to sign the renewed lease.
Meanwhile, perhaps you should remind your roommate that as long as she's on the lease, she's legally responsible to the landlord for rent and damages to the unit, such that if she's no longer living there it's in her best interest to be released and to never have to face the possibility of being billed (or sued) for a rent debt or damages she didn't cause.
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Quoting
Foxfire33
If she doesn't sign the lease release, is she obligated to sign a new yearly lease with us so we can keep the lease?
No.