Like jobs, marriages, or college majors, despite the best intentions, roommates are not always meant to last. You may be best friends when you sign the lease on your Ohio University housing, but a month after moving in you’re ready to kill each other. If one of you wants to move out but have both signed in blood on the apartment lease, are you condemned to live in roommate hell for its duration?
Finding a Replacement
Even in the face of signed legal documents, you usually have options, but there may be consequences. You’ll need to get permission from a landlord to leave a lease or find someone else to take on the lease. Always get your agreement in writing so you aren’t left holding the bill.
By all means, don’t just fly the coop. As the legal resource site Nolo points out, you will be held liable for any missed rent, so it is in your best interest to find a suitable renter to take over your payments when you’re gone.