Roomate Roomate breaking lease

[twinkletwinkle]

My jurisdiction is: New York, NY

I have shared a two bedroom apartment with a friend for the past 15 months. We renewed our lease for another year three months ago. My roommate moved out less than two weeks ago, to return home and care for a sick family member. Our lease has no clause for terminating the contract.

As I cannot afford the rent on my own, our landlord has offered me two options: 1. find new roommate to move in (cost: credit check $350), 2. find new tenant to lease apartment (cost: one months rent penalty).

While I have interviewed several candidates to sublet the apartment, none were qualified to sign onto the lease. I have found broker willing to show/rent my apartment for no fee. In exchange for renting my current apartment, I will then lease an apartment through his agency.

My roommate's decision to leave the apartment prior to the end of the lease has cost me time off from work and I will also incur moving costs (hiring movers and brokers fee for renting new apartment).

Is my roommate responsible for the total penalty incurred for early termination of the lease?


Thanks for your advice.

c

 

[Gail_in_Georgia]

Your former roommate is responsible for their continued share of the rent until the place can be rerented. You can consider suing them in Small Claims for this owed money (do this after the unit has been rerented so you have a full accounting of what you've spent).

You could tack on the brokers fee; however, it is unlikely that a judgement would also give you your moving expenses or your lost time from work.

Gail

P.S. Management has an impressive credit check fee!