Q: Tenant has been gone 30+ days, now wants to come back. Roommate doesn't want them. They owe rent.
They are still on the lease. Do I have to let them back in? This tenant owes a lot of back rent, and has repeatedly lied.
A: Clearly not enough factual information to provide legal advice you can rely upon. For instance, what notices have you sent to the tenant(s) regarding their breach of payment of rent under the lease? Have you terminated the lease or given notice to vacate at any time? How long ago? What tenant names are on the lease? If you can show a tenant has already vacated and abandoned the premises, then I see no legal basis on which they can force their way back in, but it also sounds like there is a lease with multiple tenants on it and there is one tenant at least that has maintained continuous possession of the premises, so I see no basis to separate the one co-tenant from the other simply because they moved out temporarily while he other continued their possession and use of the premises under the existing lease. Seems to be a matter between the two tenants, not you, whether the wandering tenant comes back or not. They both appear to be behind in their rent, so you can take the legal actions any landlord takes in these situations: file a distress for rent action, or if the lease term is over, terminate the tenancy and give notice to vacate, then file for tenant holding over and for eviction.
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