No Lease -- roommate

[iewe]

Indiana -- Last August I moved in with a friend of mine. Her name is the only one on the lease. I never signed it, my name is not on it, and we never had any written agreement between the 2 of us. However, 2 of the utilites are in my name. In the last few months, she has completely neglected the house leaving it a wreck, and we have had a falling out. Her lease is up in August, I want out now. Is there anything legally keeping me having to pay her?

 

[LL]

You may have to pay her, and you should.

First, I don't know Indiana law, but:

a) You lived there.
b) Even some of the utilities were in your name.
c) If you have been paying rent to her, or paying part of the rent together with her, you have established a contract by way of habit.
d) If she relied on your participation in making her plans, I would say that it is a dirty trick for you to run out on her now. I think that a judge would thinks so, too.

 

[iewe]

So, the fact that the apartment was a complete wreck (and I have pictures to back that up as uninhabitable living conditions), and that she has broken other agreements made, that doesn't make a bit of difference?

 

[LL]

What's the thinking here? That she is responsible to you for maintaining the house?

I was thinking that both of you,as renters, are responsible to the owner for maintaining the house.

You didn't have any written agreement between you and the roommate, but you have an implicit agreement of some kind.

The basic idea is, that if you can't agree between yourselves about what to do about your joint living arrangement, then either party can go to court and let a judge decide for you.

 

[iewe]

I am not saying that she is responsible to me, but I am saying that I have done MORE than my share and that there are things in the house of hers that she refuses to straiten up, throw away, clean, etc., and that it is making me physically ill. She has also broken promises to me. Not to mentionn that she lived in MY house for 3 months before we moved into this apartment and never once even offered to help with rent or utilities.

 

[dj1]

I hope this FINALLY sinks in to your brain:

A VERBAL agreement is worth the paper it is printed on!

time to move...give her a 30 day notice, since you are only a roomate...

 

[iewe]

So a 30 day notice is fine then? Thank you. That was what I was trying to get thru about since the beginning. Being only a roommate I only need a 30 days notice to vacate correct?