My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Virginia
My girlfriend moved out of our apartment on February 25 to be with someone else that started out as "just a friend". We both co-signed the lease on September 1, 2011 and agreed to share rent for at least one year. Now that she has moved out she no longer wants to pay her half of the rent; however, since our lease is "self-renewing" at the end of one year on September 1, 2012, the landlady has told my ex-girlfriend that the only way that she would no longer be responsible for paying her half of the rent is if I give her a written document removing her as a co-tenant from the original lease since she no longer resides there. Is this accurate? I plan on living here until I am able to afford something else, which might be awhile. I am disabled and currently cannot afford to pay the entire rent with my SSI Disability check. Can my ex-girlfriend get out of a co-signed "self-renewing" lease in any other way other than by my signing a document absolving her responsibility to pay rent?

