I wanted to get some help with an issue I'm having.

I live in CT and signed a 12month lease beginning on August 1, 2010. The whole situation is pretty complicated but I'll do my best to explain.

A friend, let’s call him Rj, is a real estate agent and I contacted him regarding a place to rent. So he looked on MLS and helped me take a look at a few locations. Then he started asking me how I'd feel about sharing an apartment together along with his girlfriend. Let's call her Q. So I didn't think much of it and agreed.

I was not employed and the thought of sharing rent and expenses seemed like a good idea at the time. Rj wanted to get a commission for finding the apartment so when we finally settled on a place that we all liked, Q and I submitted an application under our names. Rj didn't want to be an applicant because he stated that he wouldn't get a commission check if he applied. So even though I saw that as being a bit dishonest, I didn't let it get in the way of us moving into the great apartment we found.

Our credit reports (me and Q's) were drawn up and my credit came up in the upper 670 range while hers came up around 720. So instead of submitting both, Rj only submitted Q's credit report (although both our names were on the lease/rental application form). A few days later Q and I signed our names to the 12 month lease and the three of us moved in. We all verbally agreed to split the rent 60/40 meaning that I would pay 40% and they would both pay 60% jointly. Expenses would just be split up 3 ways.

Fast forward two months and things are not as I had expected. Rj is a major pot head, smoking marijuana nearly every single day inside our living room and is just an overall difficult person to live with. I've asked him not to smoke inside NUMEROUS times and he doesn't listen. In fact, his other "friends" come over to join him and they all drink and smoke which is not something I was expecting. We've also been arguing over dirty dishes and other irresponsible behavior.

Finally, I had enough and told him he’d need to change or move out. Then his girlfriend came to his defense and a big fight ensued. The day after our fight he tells me that I am the one who should move out because I was the only one who had a problem and that I’m only one person whereas they are two. “It makes more sense if you go since we’re paying a bigger portion of the rent anyways.” –Rj

It’s been a few days and there’s a lot of tension in the apartment. He tells me they are moving out on the 15th of October and want me to sign a letter stating that I will be solely responsible for the rent after they move out. In addition he wants me to fork over their share (60%) of the security deposit to Q (my co-tenant) and says that I’m responsible for changing the lease. I told him that the landlord is the only one who could release Q’s name from the lease and that I would have to discuss this matter with him.

So now Rj is telling me that he wants to call the landlord to tell him that I am not employed and wouldn’t even have been considered for a lease with my not-so-great credit. Rj states that given the circumstances, I should be the one to move out and that the landlord would agree with him.

Now I’m no attorney, but it sounds to me like his argument is complete nonsense. I have the ability to pay rent (from my savings) and expect to have a job within the coming weeks, but what I’m worried about is the landlord coming back and saying, “I don’t want either of you here anymore, so just forget about the lease and GO!” I’m sure that Rj could get under his skin enough for this to be a real possibility (even though he’s not on the lease himself!).

So could someone help me figure out my options at this point?

The rental agreement does not allow subleasing, but if these two move out I would still rather be sharing rent then paying the whole thing on my own (no drug users this time!). Could I get some other person to live with me with the hopes that the landlord will add them to the lease? How do these things usually turn out?

If anyone has experience or insight to these matters PLEASE HELP. I would really appreciate it!

Thank you,

Vic



PS. I've thought about calling in an anonymous tip to the police when the apartment is filled with marijuana smoke, but perhaps that's going a bit too far..

Have you browsed through the information in LawInfo's Free Legal Resource Center to learn more about your issue yet? See: http://www.lawinfo.com/consumer.html and http://resources.lawinfo.com/en/index.html. You can certainly try to speak to a lawyer to determine what legal options may be available. In the meantime, you may be able to learn more on your own. Search the "Free Legal Resources" tab, or browse the Consumer Resources. Good luck.