Denver, CO asked in Contracts, Real Estate Law and Landlord - Tenant for Colorado

Q: If my name is misspelled on the lease and I did not sign but other roommate did, is the lease still binding to me?

Wanting to leave due to roommate disputes

1 Lawyer Answer

A: The misspelling is not a material defect in the lease.

As for the lack of a signature, the issue is complicated. A signature is usually needed to create an binding agreement (esp. for real estate). However, actions can impute an agreement (esp. for leases). In other words, you are likely included in the lease if you lived at the lease location for a reasonable period of time and/or conducted activities like a tenant (e.g. paying rent, utilities, etc.). The elephant in the room is the concept of unjust enrichment (meaning you cannot enjoy the benefits of the lease and then reference a defect in the formalities of the lease to support the argument that the lease does not apply to you).

If you want to leave early talk to the landlord. The landlord may be accommodating.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.