My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: California.
My roommate, who is on the lease with me until August, has suffered a severe mental break. His behavior has become erratic and disturbing. The police have been called several times due to noise complaints, and he was recently suspended from law school for his "erratic behavior," according to his parents, with whom I'm in contact. I haven't been living at my place for close to two weeks.
My roommate has never threatened physical harm, but, again, his behavior has become erratic to the point of creating an environment I do not feel safe in. The Psychiatric Emergency Response Team has been called to our apartment several times to deal with my roomie, and he was hospitalized for 72 hours of psychiatric observation several weeks ago. I have the incident numbers for these police visits.
My question is: am I able to legally break the lease without my roommates consent? I have had a lawyer call him, and I have tried to talk to him as well, but he will not speak with anyone and constantly threatens to sue everyone when they do speak to him. So anything with his consent seems to be out. Can I cite the apartment as an unsafe environment and move my things out without being legally held accountable for the rest of my rent until August?

