Should a new roommate always be put on the lease agreement?
Let's say that you're renting an apartment. You're in an apartment. The lease is between you and the landlord, and you now have a roommate. I do not ever recommend roommates being on the lease. What you should do is have a separate agreement; roommate agreement between you and your roommates, and you run your roommates through his clearing agency. He knows you're going to get roommates, because it's okay in your lease. That's the other thing that you've got to be sure of - that it's okay in your lease to have a roommate. Not all leases allow you to have a roommate - you need to understand that first thing. The reason why I say they shouldn't be on a lease, is that, we'll say there's three of you living together, and you don't get along, but you all have equal rights to this apartment, and you all now hate each other. It's three months down the road, and you all hate each other. None of you want to leave. What are you going to do? Toss a coin? Nobody wants to leave - they all have equal rights to this apartment, because they're all on the lease. If they weren't on the lease, and only you were the lease holder, you could give each of them a thirty day written notice to leave - you don't have to have a reason. You need to always make sure of that, wherever you live. Whatever state, city, or county you live in - that you can get away with having not everybody on the lease. In some states, everybody has to be on a lease, whether you want to or not. You had better make sure that this person is really compatible before you all move in together, and all sign a lease together.
