Roomate Moving out, roommates demanding rent, but no lease

[fadder]

I have a situation that clearly both a family/social and a legal matter. I'll stick to the legal matter here.

Approximately six months ago I began renting a house between me a few other people. There has never been a lease. I pay my gas/water/electric and rent directly to the landlord and have never received any instruction to do otherwise.

At this point I've decided to move out because of various issues, mainly because I no longer feel safe there. There have been incidents with alcohol involved and I've been berated, shouted at, threatened, etc.

I've already moved out but have decided to pay rent/utilities there for over 2 months since I told them I would be moving so that they would have both the time to figure out what they're going to do and to help them financially. I was to be totally out by the end of October, but had a confrontation very recently where they told me I would have to pay for an additional six months since I had a verbal contract with them to stay for a year, which is tenuous at best (I never agreed to stay for a year, I had asked one person what they were going to do and they indicated as much, which I wouldn't hold them to).



So, I feel unsafe in this residence, I've given ample notification to both the other tenants and the landlord (who is fine with me leaving), there is no written lease, I pay my rent directly to my landlord, and any verbal contract tenuous at best, nonexistent at worst. I'm looking to avoid legal complications as I just want to move on. Should I be worried on that front?

 

[Gail_in_Georgia]

In the absence of a written lease, a tenant is assumed to be a month to month renter. Typically only 30 days notice is required to end this tenancy (this can vary a bit from state to state; if you'll post your state we can confirm this).

Since your landlord seems fine with your leaving...and you pay him directly...I'd say your roommates have little say in all of this.

Gail

 

[jacksgal]

Where I agree with Gail the roomates may have cause to sue if you did not give them enough warning to find new roomate or take action to prepare for extra money now owed. Did you give Landlord or roomates any warning and if so how much?

 

[fadder]

The state is California.

As for warning, I gave indication that I was thinking of moving a week or so into September, and then gave notice that I was indeed going to move around the middle of September. This was verbal, and said I intended to be out the end of October (actually sooner, but I would pay through October). The third roommate has been gone and will be coming back the very beginning of November, so it was requested I wait to move until then so they could figure out what to do, and I agreed (verbally).

I gave the landlord verbal notice over the phone the day before that happened, and have been in contact in person with them to verify it was still ok, which they were fine with. They don't want me to live there any longer than I want to.

In the meantime I found a place and started staying there. On October 23 I sent an email saying I would be out the end of November and would pay the before agreed upon rent and utilities (since I had agreed to stay there). I also informed the landlord of my intentions, and they were fine with that.

So, in total I gave them just shy of 2 and a half months to start to look for a roommate. They might say I gave them a month + a week, because they thought they could convince me to stay (no chance in this situation), but I clearly stated that I would wait so that the third roommate could be included in what they were going to do. So, its somewhere in between. I don't know if that's enough time, and I would even be willing to pay rent (not utilities) for another month if that helped them find a roommate and end all of this, but I seriously doubt that solution would work for them.

Thanks so much for the replies, let me know if there is any other pertinent details I can add.

 

[Gail_in_Georgia]

In your state a month to month tenant need only give 30 day notice to vacate the rental (although, interestingly enough, California seems to have just recently switched back to requiring landlords to give a 60 day notice to month to month tenants).

Often it is quite useful to have this notice in writing just to avoid hassles like this.

Gail

 

[fadder]

Thanks for the info.

I do agree that there should have been a written agreement, both with the landlord and between roommates, but noone, including myself, made that effort. I won't make that mistake in the future.