california tenant
No roommate agreement. One roommates wants to move out early of 1 year lease. Who pays rent?
<p>Let's assume that two co-tenants jointly signed a 1 year lease with landlord. One co-tenant now wants to move out early after living there just 1 month. There is no roommate agreement.</p>
<p><strong>What are the leaving co-tenant's obligations in terms of paying rent:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Fixed amount of days? Like 30 days after giving formal notice?</li>
<li>Until replacement roommate is found?</li>
<li>Until 1 year lease expires and converts into a month-to-month rent?</li>
<li>Something else?</li>
</ol>

<blockquote>
<p>Who pays rent?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It entirely depends on the terms of the lease the co-tenants jointly signed. It is impossible to address your question with specificity or certainty unless we know the terms of the lease.</p>
<p>For instance, if the lease mentions that co-tenants are <em>jointly and severally liable</em>, then the landlord is entitled to recover from any co-tenant any and all fees pursuant to the lease. In that case it would not matter who left prematurely or why. Absent a roommate agreement, the payer might in turn have a claim <em>on equitable grounds</em>, on a theory of <em>implied contract</em>, or <em>quasi-contract</em> against the co-tenant who left prematurely, although that is a separate matter and does not alter the landlord's entitlement to obtain full recovery from any co-tenant.</p>
