I need some advice about how to deal with the end of my DD’s lease. It has been about 30 years since I had a lease and when I did things were apparently much different.
DD entered a lease 10 months ago with two roommates (she met through the dance company she works for). There was always the understanding that dance contracts are year to year and none of them were guaranteed to be renewed. Of the 3 dancers, DD is the only one who was rehired. One of the roommates (call her Marcy) expressed many months ago to relocate to an apartment nearer to a different city so they could avail themselves of more opportunities. DD was willing to live with the other roommate (call her Sally) and her BF but after the girl’s contract was not renewed she said she did not know what to do and would take until the end of the lease to decide. However, DD had to resign her new contract by the end of May could not be in flux about her living arrangements as cost of living is very high where she is. The Company put her in touch with two new hires and they are willing to share an apartment with DD.
Now the quandaries. They have all decided to move into an apartment in the same complex DD is currently in as it is gated and reasonably priced. DD’s new roommates want to move in by late August. DD’s current lease (all three original roommates are named on the lease) does not end until Sept. 15. Before coming home for the summer DD paid the rental office the balance of her lease obligation as far as rent goes. However, the apartment complex will not let her enter or apply for a new lease until the minute her current lease is up. DD has made arrangements with the new roommate that DD will be added as a third lease after this is possible.
DD and her current roommates are obligated to give 60 days notice per their lease or it will be renewed on a month to month basis. DD had intended on faxing them a notice of intent not to renew on her part. Now the apartment complex is telling her that ALL roommates on the lease must sign an agreement to exit the lease or DD will not be able to get out of this lease at all. How can they force her to stay in a lease if she gives the proper notice? Is that even legal? Not to mention she is moving into an apartment and lease within the same complex so the apartment complex is no losing out.
Did I mention that “Marcy” also moved everything out of DD’s room and moved into it as soon as DD had left for the summer? We called the police and also the rental office and the former said DD has to be in town to file a criminal complaint against the roommate (DD had a sub-letter lined up for the summer and lost her when DD had told her that Marcy was now occupying the advertised room and would not leave - DD’s roommates were agreeable to the sub-letter prior to this) . The latter said (as I would expect) they could do nothing but it was reported to them that there was an issue.
So long story short, what recourse does DD have in this case? Marcy is obviously a loose cannon in this situation and Sally apparently wants to stay in the apartment now so may not sign the required roommate release. I don’t see anything on DD’s lease about the release but do have to check again. Also, DD is being asked by the apartment complex to pay for another credit check ($50) even though she is already a tenant there in good standing. We are obviously more concerned about the fact that at this point DD has no concrete place to leave for the coming year and may be bound to a lease for an apartment she does not want. Is this all typical in leases these days? Prior to this DD had rented an apartment in a major city under a lease and she and her roommates at the time had just ended the lease with no crazy paperwork to sign.