Roommates
Leaving a Shared Lease Early
Moving out does not automatically remove your name from a shared lease. Talk with the landlord and roommates early, get any release in writing, and settle your deposit share, utilities and last rent. Return your keys with a receipt and keep the signed paperwork so everyone has the same move-out date.
Why this helps
Packing your boxes doesn't take your name off the lease. You can stay responsible for the rent after you've moved, so a written release is the thing to get.
Do this
- Talk with the landlord and your roommates early. Nobody likes a last minute surprise.
- Get any release in writing. A spoken okay is hard to point to later.
- Settle your deposit share, the utilities, and the last rent. For the deposit, every roommate signs the move-in deposit distribution form, couples included, choosing a joint check, an agreed split by signed shares, or all to one named roommate who repays the others.
- Return your keys with a receipt. It shows the day you handed them back.
- Keep the signed paperwork so everyone has the same date. One date means no arguments about who left when.
Next step
Moving your things out isn't the end of the lease, so call the landlord this week and ask what a written release looks like. You've got this!