I am possibly signing a lease with a random stranger so both our names will be on the lease...whats the legal repercussions if she bails...on rent or disappears etc...How can you protect yourself?
9/2/2009 10:25:49 PM
i'm pretty sure if you both sign up as seperately on the lease you are both only responsible for what rent you are partial to on the contract. so i'd see what your contract says before signing. it should let you know what you're getting yourself into.
9/2/2009 10:27:08 PM
joint and several liabilityit means you are pretty much fucked if that happens
9/2/2009 10:28:11 PM
well I can see you don't trust her as she is a stranger. You can both sign a legal pact and notorize to list what would happen just in case one or the other fails.And just find out from your would-be landlord.
9/2/2009 10:28:19 PM
9/2/2009 10:29:38 PM
i've seen apartment complexes that protect you in those situations because well.... some money is better than no money. but like i said. ask them not here. call your potential apartment place and just flat see what they say.
9/2/2009 10:30:43 PM
you need to sign separate leases.Because: If your roommate bails, and you're still living there... yep, you're still responsible for rent and damages. It would take a law suit to correct thisyou're basically seen as 1 person when you sign the lease together. your landlord won't want separate leases because:it's easier for them to collect 1 checkand they want a single person to fall back on in the case of the situation above.don't rely on strangers (or anyone else for that matter) to secure your security deposit, rent, etc...[Edited on September 2, 2009 at 10:33 PM. Reason : a]
9/2/2009 10:33:07 PM
^Pretty much. You would each be responsible to the landlord for the whole thing. And in turn you could sue her if she defaults. But chances are if she doesn't pay it to begin with, then she's not going to have the money if you win at court anyways.
9/2/2009 10:46:12 PM
Offer the landlord $50 extra/month and they'll usually make accommodations, and it will be 1 million % worth it if they bail 3 months into a year long lease.Also you'll want to look into renters insurance, and once you get your stuff set up like you want it go around and video tape or photograph everything in your place that's yours INCLUDING the on-pic time/date stamp. This can go a very long way into getting stuff replaced if it goes sour.
9/2/2009 11:56:39 PM
9/3/2009 1:12:42 PM
this happened to me in gorman crossings. we were both on the lease, he moved out, and i was then responsible for everything. but who knows, california laws are probably different from NC laws.
9/3/2009 1:14:57 PM
Step 1: Read the lease in question.
9/3/2009 3:49:15 PM
Sign separate leases. Even if it's $50-$100 more expensive per month, you'll cover your ass.
9/3/2009 3:50:24 PM
^^[Edited on September 3, 2009 at 3:52 PM. Reason : ]
9/3/2009 3:51:49 PM
9/3/2009 3:52:08 PM