Friend is in jail, landlord wants rent, now?

Question

My friend was arrested and is in jail waiting for hearing. she had another "friend" helping her by paying rent, etc. Now the girl is gone and my friend asked me to step in and find out what needs to be done to keep her stuff and her apartment. When I went to the apartment, there was a letter from the landlord via an attorney. The letter states that "only the lessee may pay the rent", there is a late fee due from the last month, there is a utility bill and the "friend" changed the locks and now the landlord wants a copy of the keys. I don't know what to do. I want to help my friend but my name is not on the lease and I do not have the new keys. Anyone have any advice on how to go about figuring this out and saving her place? I have limited funds so an attorney is my last resort. Is there anything I can do?

Answer 1

First of all, there are several issues going on. Will try and address each of them.

1. Paying the rent. Regardless if the landlord can enforce such a rule as only the renter can pay, which I feel is bullshit. What you do is get the money together and pay by money order and put the renter name on it instead of yours. This will get you around that stupid renter only requirement. This is your primary concern for helping your friend.

Now to the locks, which is almost as important as the rent, because the landlord needs a set of new keys. If he doesn't get them in a timely fashion it could result in the landlord evicting your friend. You need to find this friend of your friend that had the locks changed and get the keys from her. If you can't find her, go talk to the landlord and ask him to contact a locksmith which you will pay for, so you can get in and then remove the locks and get them rekeyed. Then you will be able to give the landlord keys that will open the apartment. Your last resort will have to be breaking a window to get inside the apartment. The main thing is to get inside the apartment so you can remove the door locks and take them to get rekeyed. Rekeying is fairly inexpensive at any home improvement store like Home Depot, Lowes or Menards.

I would not worry about the utility bill, at worst the utility will shut her off until she pays.

Answer 2

The main thing is paying the rent the only way to stop an eviction, being in jail will not stop an eviction

as toward the letter from a lawyer saying only the lesseee may pay the rent unless the lease/contract says payment maybe made only by the lesse which i doubt they can not change the terms on who can pay on the lease