THERE ARE FOUR BEDROOMS IN MY HOUSE (IN CA) that i rent out of. she wants everyone to sign a 6 month lease. in the lease she will include that she is not responsible for finding tenants once a roommate moves out, we are. and if we cant find a tenant, then she will charge us for the extra room. the house is not in good shape, and she is not willing to fix anything. finding people to live there is very difficult. Is this ok or normal?????
2007-09-06 09:40:07 · 10 answers · asked by purplex15 3 in Business & Finance ➔ Renting & Real Estate
to add a few things for clarification. i did not get this house with the people who live here. she rents the rooms out individually. as far as the house, the rooms are all nice, except for a fourth bedroom (it needs new paint and new carpet, things anyone who looks at it notices, and things the landlord is not willing to pay for). the yard is horrible, and the rest of the house is just blah. we moved in b/c it was the only place at the time that allowed dogs.
so we all rent individually from her, we did not move in together. we all have month to month rents, which she wants to change. she hasnt been able to rent the room out for at least 6 months (and everyone who looked at it said the paint and carpet were what kept them from moving in), and told me she didnt want to deal with it anymore.
2007-09-07 05:35:39 · update #1
Did the four of you rent the house together or did she rent the rooms out individually? If she has been renting the rooms one at a time, then it is her responsibility to re-rent the room if it is vacated. If you all rented the house together, then you must find a new roommate if 1 moves out.
As far as fixing things in the house, there are some things that must be working properly by law. These include heating systems, stoves and ovens, fridges, hot water tank, screens on the windows, etc. If the repairs are just cosmetic, she doesn't have to fix it. Check the laws in your state to find out if she is required to fix anything in your house.
It sounds to me like you should get a copy of the laws regarding Landlords and Tenants in California. Once you know what your rights are, you can speak with your Landlady about what needs to be done. If she knows you have a copy, chances are she'll be more likely to follow it. Protect yourself.
2007-09-06 09:57:07 · answer #1 · answered by bizou_bear 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When your in a roommate situation like that in California, you all sign the lease and are all responsible for the entire lease. How the rent gets paid each month is up to the people on the lease. If someone moves out, the entire rent is still due. The best way to handle this situation is to have each person on the lease sign an agreement that states that they will be responsible for their share of the rent until someone else can take over their part of the rent. At that point, the new tenant / roommate should sign a lease with the owner and the person moving out should have a written cancellation of their lease with the owner.
We post updated information for renters on our blog at www.occoastalblog.com
2007-09-06 17:49:41 · answer #2 · answered by theoccoastalgroup 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hell yes. It is very common for all adults in the household to sign a lease. It should not be her problem if one of you isn't there to pay or can't pay. She's renting 1 house.
By the way, if the house is not in good shape, DON'T move in. Unless of course you are getting a break on the rent because it's in poor shape, in which case, don't complain.
2007-09-06 16:48:38 · answer #3 · answered by Uncle Pennybags 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is ok and very normal in any lease
And I always have to ask when people bytch "house is not in good shape and she is not willing to fix anything" WHY DO YOU STAY? If the house is so bad and the landlord such a bad person, why would you not get out before you have to sign a lease/new lease?
2007-09-06 16:43:38 · answer #4 · answered by Craig T 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No she supposed to fix the house up before renting it out. I wouldn't take that deal. But for the rent she can charge y'all if a tenant is not found.
2007-09-06 16:45:31 · answer #5 · answered by Line Straddler 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Thats a real touchy subject. But, if she owns the house, she can (by law) outline whatever she wants.
Knowing most can't move, or the rent is affordable,.....she may fall under the category of 'slum' landlord.
What happens if you find someone, and they are horrid..will she charge you for damage?
whew...thats a hard one
2007-09-06 16:44:22 · answer #6 · answered by Shalla V 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is very normal. If you're subleasing, you're technically the landlord. If they sign on to the lease, they're still sub-leasing from you so it's in your best interest to get your roomates to sign a lease.
2007-09-06 16:48:03 · answer #7 · answered by Lex 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
sounds normal to me - you should make the roommate moving out pay their share or they must find a replacement - draw up an agreement between you four for that
2007-09-06 16:44:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't agree to it. It leaves you responsible for the rent portion of the person who left. No, nope, no way, nada!
2007-09-06 16:44:28 · answer #9 · answered by Alterfemego 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yeah, normal. sucks, doesn't it? thats life!
2007-09-06 16:47:16 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋