my roomate left and stuck me with the rent

[gettinscrewed]

Irent the downstaira of a house in albany,ny.My roomate signed the lease last july.He never moved in but continued to pay rent through December with intentions of moving in.After he stopped paying rent i continued to pay my half of the rent.I am now getting sued for his half of the rent.There are no stipulations on the lease stating that I shall be responsible for the rent if he decides not to pay although we both signed the lease of a total of 600 dollars a month.I can prove to the court that I payed my half.Will I be liable for his half of the rent?

[jot0n0]

Obviously it a lot simpler for LL to go after the person who's living there than someone who never move in. But that's the risk one take in sharing an apt, each tenant is responsible for the other's actions. You're responsible for your co-tanant's share of the rent if he doesn't pay. My advice is to try and find a replacement roommate quickly and deal with former co-tenant in small claims court later.