Jacksonville, NC asked in Contracts, Land Use & Zoning and Real Estate Law for Florida

Q: My friend is having trouble with is old roommate he lives in Flordia, He has already moved out can he break the lease?

His roommate is threatening to sue him, but both of them are on lease and I was wondering if he can break his half of the lease cause both names are on it.

1 Lawyer Answer
Charles M.  Baron
Charles M. Baron
Answered
  • Hollywood, FL
  • Licensed in Florida

A: There's no such thing as "his half of the lease" - unless the lease specifies that each tenant is responsible for only half the rent, which is extremely unlikely. Usually, all tenants named on the lease are jointly responsible for the rent. That means if one takes off and refuses to pay his/her share, the tenant remaining on the property will get stuck for the entire amount - and can sue the tenant who took off for that tenant's share. If the remaining tenant gets a new roommate to share the rent, then of course the tenant who took off would be liable for only the skipped payments up until the time the new roommate's share kicks in.

Bruce Alexander Minnick agrees with this answer

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