My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Massachusetts
I notified my roommate on October 4 that I intended to move out of our current apartment by November 1, which gave him 4 weeks to find a replacement roommate. My lease expired on October 15th and I have not signed a new lease for another year. The apartment complex manager, however, mentioned that if a new lease isn't signed, it automatically converts to a month-to-month lease. I have paid a full month's rent for the month of October, but have not done so yet for November.
The manager says we have three options: either both of us move out (in which case we need to give him 30 days notice to market the apartment), the roommate stays by himself (he needs to qualify on his own), or he finds a new roommate. For the latter two options, the roommate needs to sign a release form to take me off the lease.
My roommate decided that he wants to stay in the apartment, so we have put up ads on various sites. The problem is that I don't think my roommate is trying very hard to find a replacement. In 3 weeks, he has not interviewed a single potential roommate. I've sent him 4 or 5 possibilities, but I don't think he has found them acceptable.
What rights do I have if my roommate does not sign the release form by the end of October? Do I have to pay rent for the month of November, even though I don't live there anymore? Can he drag this out indefinitely, forcing me to pay rent while he takes months to find a replacement? How can I get my apartment manager to take me off of the lease? Can I tell them we are giving them 30 days notice to market the apartment, even if my roommate wants to stay there?

