My roommate and her boyfriend (who has been living with us since October yet not paying) are moving out of the apartment in a few weeks. I’m happy because I’ll no longer be in an environment full of fighting, physical threats, not being comfortable in my own home, etc. but I am still in a huge dilemma as it currently stands.
My roommate does NOT want the landlord finding out she is moving out early (the lease ends in May, she’s paid in full for the whole semester already) out of fear that she will not get her security deposit back. She has asked me not to tell the landlord, but I’m having difficulty with doing that for a few reasons.
For starters, most of the furniture in the apartment is hers. She’ll obviously be taking it with her, but I don’t want an empty apartment, nor do I want to buy my own furniture (graduating in May and will likely be living with my parents until I can afford to go out on my own), so I want to ask our landlord if he could move the original furniture that came with the apartment back in. She doesn’t want me to do this because then he’ll “know for sure she moved out.”
Additionally, I really want my landlord to change the passcode on our front door. If she’s moving out she shouldn’t really be able to come and go in the apartment as she pleases, and I also fear her or her boyfriend will come back and confront me or do something to me if they find out that I informed the landlord.
What makes all of this harder is that I have two classes with the girl so I can’t even avoid her.
How should I approach this? I don’t want to live in an empty apartment but I also don’t want to face her and her boyfriend’s wrath. Please help!
If she has paid in full she has a right to enter the apartment, but the BF does not. So you have a right to ask the landlord to provide furniture if you need it, since you are living there. The other issue seems to be, whether or not she gets her security deposit back will likely be determined by what shape you leave the apartment in when you leave in May. Whether or not she is there for the full time seems moot, unless its in the lease.
If you need furniture, which you do, and there is a cost involved in the landlord paying to get it put back in your apartment, who will cover that expense?
I assume you have addressed the moocher boyfriend and his failure to help cover costs? Getting them out seems like a good thing, and once they are out its your relationship with the landlord that remains in pace. IMO, not your problem if she loses her deposit. Too bad, so sad. Do you have to see the roommate of her bf ever again?
@jym626, yes she does since they take the same class.
I’d tell your roommate that you’d not say anything to the landlord if she leaves the furniture. But, because you need furniture and aren’t going to pay for any, you’ll need to talk to the landlord about having the furniture brought back. Sounds like you are renting a place that was furnished when you took the apartment. If she expects you to live in an unfurnished apartment she’s being absurd. If she does not want the landlord to know she moved out, she can leave the furniture. Her choice.
But if she wants her deposit back she needs to be around when you both need to clean the apartment at move out time. There is no reason she couldn’t be because it sounds like the boyfriend lives in the same city (as she will continue in class). Her choice-or she risks losing her deposit anyway. You should not be the only one cleaning.
Just looked at your other threads. Sounds like you’ve had housing challenges for over a year, and have been struggling with this current one for almost 2 months. Since you chose to stay (and they are leaving- good riddance) yes, given the aggressive issues you have reported in the other thread and the fear for your safety, get the locks changed, advise the landlord of the safety concerns (since it could affect others if this is an apartment building, or they could threaten to damage property, have they??) and take care of yourself. Others also suggested you contact authorities. If they threaten you, call the police. And tell your parents!
@lostaccount - the roommate won’t expect a return of her deposit until after the lease is up, at which point the classes will be over. And if the roommate leaves her furniture, she has a right to access the apartment. Let her take her stuff and leave. Then talk to the landlord, get furnishings and change the lock.
As for whether she will see the roommate again, are they in the same graduating class or the same classroom class? Is this a small school or a large university? Bottom line, whether the roommate gets her deposit back (and ditto for utility deposits if she has any) is esteem her and the landlord and the roommate. stay out of that.
@hannahbanana9811 Call the landlord and tell him/her that you’re basically afraid of your roommate but that she’s moving out and you want the landlord to know about it. Between you and the landlord, you can come up with some reason that he/she called or stopped by, and at that point you had no choice (that’s the story you’ll tell the roommate) to explain to the landlord that the roommate is moving out. It’s not the most mature route (the most mature route is simply telling the roommate, “You signed a lease. It’s a legal document, and I’m not going to be a party to you breaking a legal document.”) but it will probably keep you from feeling the full-on wrath.
Good riddance to these scary folks. Do not let them leave one thing in the apartment. I also wonder if there is something in your lease about not allowing fire arms in the property. If the boyfriend has violated the lease (he’s not even on it anyway but if the roommate has allowed it she has violated the lease) and that’s between her and the landlord. Don’t address it with the landlord until they are out of there. I agree with that.
Why is your roommate worried about losing her security deposit for moving out early? You said the apartment rent was payed in full through the end of the lease term. This is the part of your story that doesn’t make sense to me.
@damon30 I don’t know why she’s so worried about not getting the deposit back. Multiple people I’ve talked to have told me she should still be able to get it back. I think because her relationship with our landlord has been pretty bad so far, she’s worried he’ll keep the deposit. I’ll have to reread our lease but I don’t believe it states anything about moving out early.
The issue of her deposit is between your roommate and the landlord. Not your problem. Do not address it one way or the other. Not.Your. Problem. And she’ll blame you anyway if she doesn’t get it back, so what difference does it make? Stay focused on what you need to do to take care of yourself. She is making her choices and you need to make yours.
If there was furniture there that was removed because your roommate had her own, just contact the landlord and tell him you changed your mind and ask if you can get some of the furniture brought back. You don’t need to mention anything about your roommate or her furniture.
If her share is prepaid and if your lease doesn’t specify that she has to physically occupy all times besides school breaks, I don’t see an issue with her refund. (It’s like kids who rent but spend most of their time at a boyfriend’s apt.) But not sure if the LL can change the lock code if she’s still official.
I’d do what makes you feel safest. If she does move furniture, what’s to stop you from saying another neighbor must have seen and reported it?
@hannahbanana9811 What @CheddarcheeseMN said. You still occupy the unit and the rent is prepaid. There is no issue with the lease. Your soon-to-be-ex roommate’s demand that you live in an unfurnished apartment is unreasonable.
Your roommate is worrying over nothing. If the rent is paid in full the landlord won’t care. Might even be happy - less wear and tear on the apartment. Ask him/her for what you need. Don’t worry about it.
I think the landlord would be delighted she moved out (yet has paid for the year).
In fact, have your roommate take pictures of the condition of the apartment so she can establish what it was like when she left.
Do not tell her you talked to the landlord. But talk to the landlord and say you would like the combo changed and the furniture . Say that you are worried about the boy friend coming back. But, if your roommate does want to move back, that the landlord should give her the combo as she has paid for the semester.