Q: Can my previous landlord pin me with damage fees is they refused me to sign off the lease without reason?
The office refused my request to sign off the lease when I was not primary on the lease agreement and now they are trying to get me for damage fees when I haven't lived there over 3 months.
A: It depends - we're you on a fixed term lease and broke it early? Or were you on a month to month tenancy? If so, did you provide at least 30 days prior written notice to the landlord that you were terminating your tenancy? If you lawfully terminated your tenancy, it likely also legally terminated any co-tenants tenancy as well, whether they wanted that or not. So the answer depends heavily upon the facts. Consider reviewing you particular case with a landlord-tenant attorney to determine your rights and obligations. If it turns out that they have no legal right to charge you, you may have grounds to sue them for violations of various debt collection laws. Good luck.
A: I have no idea what you mean about not being primary signer on the lease. Either you signed it or not. If you did, all signers are equally liable to the landlord for the full amount of the rent and any damages. The landlord can collect everything owed from you, for example, and it is your problem to collect any amounts otherwise owed by your co-roommates.
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