Who is responsible for unpaid rent when a tenant moves out?

Full question:

Landlord A leases an apartment to Tenant A and Tenant B. The rent is $800.00 and Tenant A and Tenant B agree that each of them will pay half ($400.00). The following month when rent is due, Tenant B pays $400.00, but Tenant A is unable to pay. Tenant A and Tenant B have a fight and Tenant A moves out leaving the total rent obligation unfulfilled. Who is responsible for paying the rent? What are Landlord A's options?

Answer:

As tenants, both Tenant A and Tenant B are responsible for the full rent amount of $800.00, regardless of how they agreed to split it. If one tenant fails to pay their share, the landlord can still hold both tenants accountable for the total rent. The landlord's primary concern is receiving the full payment, not how it is divided between tenants.

If the rent is not paid, the landlord may have several options, including terminating the lease, evicting the tenants, and potentially taking actions like lockout or terminating utilities. In some cases, the landlord may also have the right to place a lien on tenant property for unpaid rent.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.

FAQs

A lease where a tenant pays rent along with some ownership charges is often referred to as a 'gross lease' or 'full-service lease.' In this arrangement, the landlord typically covers property expenses like maintenance, taxes, and insurance, while the tenant pays a single rental amount. This type of lease can simplify budgeting for tenants since they have a clear understanding of their total costs.