<p>This is precisely the reason student apartments like this have individual leases for each student. I would offer to speak with the other students parents directly and explain to the parents that you not only wouldn’t ask this, but you do not have the extra $ to oblige their request. Your D likely has a problem on her hands for next year with this roommate regardless of whether this girl is being honest or if the parents really are this irrational…both of which are possible. I would not pay. If you do, there will likely be no end to what is expected of you. I would stick with the obligations in your individual leases.</p>
<p>Is there a separate lease in place for each room or is the unit rented as a whole? In any part of the lease agreement is there a ‘wholly and severally liable’ clause? If leased as as separate entities (rooms and lessors) then I don’t see a legal obligation. If, there is a wholly and severally liable clause…then there is a legal obligation on the part of each party to be responsible for not only themselves but also for the other party.</p>
<p>Legality aside, if the parties are planning to live together next year as you stated then it is much messier and emotional</p>
<p>Agree that there are 2 issues- the legal responsibility (you have none if your dau has a separate lease and this was clear from the get go) and the “they have to live together next year” issue. That said, I agree that this isnt your daus problem. She can express her sadness that the roommie wasnt able to find someone to sublet her room, but … sorry, not able to help cover her share of the rent.</p>
<p>My only question-- is the subleaseee paying all the utilities this summer? How is that being handled?</p>
<p>Seem to be in a minority, but I do think there is an argument to be made that DD should pay some portion to the roommate. I don’t think it is 1/2, but between 1/4 and 1/8 is probably not out of the question.</p>
<p>Is there no one who finds this reasonable?</p>
<p>From the OP:</p>
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<p>Sorry, but I really don’t although I respect your opinion to the contrary.</p>
<p>As is often the case in these student apartments the leases are individual leases as stated by the OP. If they are written as many of the individual leases are on “student only” apartment properties, the leases include the cost of utilities up to a specified amount of usage. Unless she so chooses, why should she accept responsibility for any portion of the cost of the other individual lease? I agree, it may be emotionally messy next year, but it will likely be either way. I’m guessing there will be issues of where to draw the line in the future if you do pay.</p>
<p>Perhaps the subletter (that is the summer renter) might know someone who can sublet the other room. That way you can get her involved in the transaction as well, unless it’s too late for all that at this point.</p>
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<p>On what are you basing this?</p>
<p>
Not sure I understand your question?</p>
<p>What argument do you think there is to be made to justify paying any money towards the roommates half of the rent?</p>
<p>The argument would be that the understanding is that costs are shared–each roommate pays out of pocket the same amount for the rent. If a third party is paying a portion of the total rent, then to make it so that each roomie pays the same amount out of pocket, then subtract that amount paid by a third party from the total rent due and the original roomies split the remaining amount due in 2 and pay that.</p>
<p>That can be the only justification I can come up with…but I sure don’t buy it. Sounds like it gives one roommate the ability to freeload on the system.</p>
<p>We could think of the apartment as having three parts - DD’s bedroom, F/R’s bedroom, and the common areas (kitchen, living room, assuming 1 bath). DD pays for her bedroom and half of the common areas, each of which have some proportionate value to her. The value not necessarily proportional to the amount of time spent there, but to the importance of having that space. DD has effectively rented her bedroom to Subletter (SL), as well as “half” of the common areas. However the common areas can’t really be distinguished as to which half belongs to which girl, so we could argue that the rent SL pays for the common areas should be split to both girls, since the space “belongs” equally to each of them. </p>
<p>If for example, the value of the bedroom is (2/3) of DD rent and the value of the common space is (1/3), then (1/3) would be split in two to equal (1/6) of the SL rent for F/R.</p>
<p>Additionally, it isn’t clear what the arrangement is with the utilities. If SL is paying a flat rate for the apt and the girls are splitting the utility costs, then it seems unfair to make F/R pay for utilities used by SL while she isn’t even there.</p>
<p>As an added thought, F/R could decide to use the apartment over the summer, at which point she has to cope with living with an unknown and possibly sketchy person, which was not what she signed on for when she set out to rent an apartment with DD.</p>
<p>ETA Ellemenope, that would amount to (1/2) which I said I did not think was reasonable.</p>
<p>Hey, I don’t think it’s reasonable…but I am trying to come up with some rationale for the roomie who didn’t get a sublet to to ask for OP’s D to pay anything!</p>
<p>What rationale would you use to come up with the 1/4 to 1/8 portion to be paid–besides banking goodwill?</p>
<p>
Using the idea that the rent SL pays for the common areas would be shared by DD and F/R, some fraction of the total rent would need to be assigned to those areas. Above I used 1/3 giving 1/6 to each, but someone else might say 1/2 (or 1/4), resulting in 1/4 (or 1/8) to each, or some other fraction.</p>
<p>Divvy-ing up of use of the common areas seems like overkill. Each roommate pays half the rent. It includes all these common areas. </p>
<p>When I was in grad school I had the larger bedroom with private bath. I paid more for it than the other roommates paid for their portion of the rent. If I’d sublet it I would have had that person pay what I paid. When my DS had a subleter last summer they paid less than his share of the rent. He covered the difference.</p>
<p>This is just like the rest of life. The issue is whether people who are pro active and look out for themselves by preparing for things should take care of people who don’t. That is the only rational argument for “helping” the “less fortunate” roommate. Just like real life, your life may be easier if you just cave in.</p>
<p>Regardless of your decision, you are in the process of learning a valuable lesson. See the little red hen story.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who responded! I wrote a long reply but had to step away from the computer and lost it when logging back in.</p>
<p>It’s just so unfortunate this has caused a considerable strain between the 2 girls and my DD is not looking forward to sharing another 2b/2b apartment with her next year. </p>
<p>My DD has extended the “olive branch” in hopes of avoiding the awkwardness come fall but it’s not been received very well - her F/R told my DD she is extremely hurt my DD won’t pay half. </p>
<p>We definitely have learned a very valuable lesson here however my DD will be wiser and more attentive to matters when dealing with F/R.</p>
<p>Again thank you all!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the rromie did not act responsibly by advertising early to find a subletter. There is no reason you or your D should be punished by having to pay for her mistake. She needs to understand that finding a subletter was in her control, not your D’s, and that she chose not to take action. If you were unendingly wealthy, it might be a nice gesture to help her out, but as in the case of most of us, since you are not, there is no reason for you to cough up the money that she is responsible for. I know it is harder than it sounds, but if she is playing the guilt card on your D, your D needs to flip the guilt back around to the roomie…why didn’t you advertise earlier, why did you put me in this position, my parents can’t afford to pay over the summer so I made sure to look early to find someone,???" I would not get involved as a parent, as it is something that the 2 girls need to work out. Too bad your D is stuck there another year, but it will probably blow over eventually.</p>
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Everyone blasts the F/R for not “getting her paperwork in early” but we might not really have the whole story. Maybe DD was experienced or was told to apply early while F/R didn’t really know she needed to. If that was the case, did DD say “hey, I’m putting in for a sublet early, you should too” ? or did she minimize the competition by keeping her mouth shut about it? </p>
<p>Maybe F/R wasn’t sure if she was going to be needing the room herself for the summer and decided later in the semester. </p>
<p>Or maybe F/R applied in a timely enough fashion but there just aren’t that many subletters in their town this summer.</p>
<p>
I’m confused - they already lived in this apartment for a year and the summer is at the END of the lease? Did they already lease the new apartment for September? (Our students rent from June through May.)</p>
<p>I agree with most people here. Each girl has their own lease and is responsible for providing half the rent. Whether they live there and pay to use the space for themself, or sublease their space and use that money to pay for their half doesn’t matter. They each pay half.</p>
<p>If for some reason you daughter had to miss school for a month and was not using the space would the roommate expect to pay for an extra half of your daughters rent for that month? I doubt it.</p>