16 living in apartment

[Aa1724]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Tx

My question is: Can a 16 yr old living in a apartment with out the parents? The apartments are not campus owned but are leased out by the room. These apartments are not just for college students.

 

[mistoffolees]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Tx

My question is: Can a 16 yr old living in a apartment with out the parents? The apartments are not campus owned but are leased out by the room. These apartments are not just for college students.

Yes. If the parents agree.

First, a 16 year old can not sign a lease unless they have been emancipated (which is extremely difficult to do). Second, a 16 year old is a minor and lives where the parents tell him/her to live.

 

[HomeGuru]

Yes. If the parents agree.

First, a 16 year old can not sign a lease unless they have been emancipated (which is extremely difficult to do). Second, a 16 year old is a minor and lives where the parents tell him/her to live.

**A: I agree, either the parents, court or legal guardians have the say.

 

[cbg]

There is not a law against it, if that's what you mean.

But since a 16 year old is a minor and cannot move out of the house without permission, and since no landlord is required to rent to anyone, the 16 year old would need two things in order to do so:

1.) Parental permission
2.) A landlord who is willing to allow a 16 year old to live in his/her properties

 

[HomeGuru]

I know some redneck landlords that would allow such a thing.

 

[Aa1724]

The apartment lease states that no one under the age of 18 can qualify to sign the lease. Then there is a clause that says unless a parents signs for you then you can be 17 but there is nothing saying a 16 yr old can live there. The property manager is not giving me any answers so I e-mailed the corp office but haven't heard from them yet.

 

[mistoffolees]

The apartment lease states that no one under the age of 18 can qualify to sign the lease. Then there is a clause that says unless a parents signs for you then you can be 17 but there is nothing saying a 16 yr old can live there. The property manager is not giving me any answers so I e-mailed the corp office but haven't heard from them yet.

Why are you so hell-bent on getting your own apartment?

 

[cbg]

The apartment complex has no legal obligation to rent to a 16 year old. Or a 17 year old, for that matter.

MAY they legally do so? Yes, they may.

MUST they legally do so? Not by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[mistoffolees]

The apartment complex has no legal obligation to rent to a 16 year old. Or a 17 year old, for that matter.

MAY they legally do so? Yes, they may.

MUST they legally do so? Not by any stretch of the imagination.

However, if they choose to do so, the lease can not ordinarily be enforced against a 16 or 17 year old - so few landlords would do so without having a parent or other responsible adult co-signing the lease.

 

[cbg]

Good point - thanks for the additional info.

 

[FarmerJ]

Aa1724 back when i had my 4plex I knew a parent who was willing to sign the lease for her 17 yr old son, he was a bit of a handful at times but he was not legally old enough to enter into a lease contract himself. Susanne was a great lady but honestly I told her where I was at with it , first off it would have been his first place and I lived on site, I was not willing to put up with parties or other problems related to first timers especially a minor living alone, second thing , even if she put up first , last and deposit , damage deposits just dont cover the thousands of dollars in damage that can quickly pile up if things got out of hand and it would have meant having to sue her if the worst happened as well as the problem of actually getting any thing out of it (collecting on the judgement) so if you can see it from a landlords point of view the risk is very high , this is why so many LLs will not even rent to first timers who are young and have no rental histories even if they are old enough to sign a contract. If your parent(s) are willing to sign a lease and the LL knows full well you will be living there with out parent and it all works out fine and dandy but in all honesty I have never met a LL who was willing to take the risk. Now if its a matter of your home situation being very challenging perhaps a better choice is if you have another relative who is willing to permit you to live with them with parental consent then that may work fine until you are legally old enough to enter a contract . Do know this , there are many LLs who do business with first timers who are of legal age , it just means having to look a little harder when the time does come.