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Bad roommates: Please advice how can we get out of the lease

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Bad roommates: Please advice how can we get out of the lease

Postby jack » Sun Oct 22, 2006 12:54 pm

We are 4 people living in a 2 bedroom rented apartment in Lincoln, Nebraska. The apartment lease includes 3 names; myself, my friend and a third guy. A fourth guy who is not in the lease has been staying with us for a few months.

Recently we have had a lot of problems. The third person in the lease and the guy who is not in the lease have been fighting and abusing me and my friend. They shout in the apartment, throw stuff and curse at us. They don't clean the apartment and instead throw around more trash. They use our things without permission.

Me and my friend want to get out of this terrible situation. Are any of these three workable:

1) We have requested the third person in the lease to release us from the lease so that two of us can go and rent a separate apartment. But he refuses to even talk. He will not break the lease either. Me and my friend are ready to bear any cost of lease-break and anything else to get out of the place. Is there ANY way to get out of this lease? Can me and my friend force a lease-break on the third person somehow? Please advice

2) Is there a way to get rid of the fourth person who is living without being in the lease? He refuses to move out completely. He is really dirty and is making the apartment resemble a trash can. He has occupied a whole room and filled it with all kinds of trash.

3) As a last resort, somebody told me to approach "City Building and Safety" (or something like that). They told me this: If I report that 4 unrelated people are living in a 2 bedroom apartment this agency can come and get the apartment vacated completely. That way at least I could get out from this place. Is that possible? Are there repercussions for this?
jack
 
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Postby Anna » Sun Oct 22, 2006 11:39 pm

There does appear to be a local ordinance that defines a rental to three or more persons who are not related as a 'rooming house' where srticker rules apply, possibly including prohibition unless city gives LL a permit....
if so, this might mean that Lincoln could require your LL to correct the 'overcrowding'...
Your other suggestions, plus simply withholding rent, would probably result in LL commencing eviction proceedings against everyone.

Go over your lease with a fine-toothed comb: any provisions for giving notice & leaving early?

Try these sites for more info/help & local laws:

http://www.neequaljustice.org/ : a legal information website maintained by a nonprofit legal services provider in Nebraska.

http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/build/in ... /index.htm

http://www.ci.lincoln.ne.us/

http://www.nebls.com/landlord_tenant.htm

http://www.nrec.state.ne.us/landlordact.htm

http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/nsf/Faq/landlord.html
Anna
 
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Postby Iddabiddy35 » Tue Oct 31, 2006 1:53 pm

Out of curiosity - who invited the 4th guy to move in? Does this 4th guy pay a fair share of the rent, utilities, cleaning supplies etc..? You mentioned that there are 3 names on the lease - does your lease state that only 3 people can live in the apartment? IF your lease states that only 3 people can live in the apartment, then the person who invited this 4th guy to come and live in the apartment is the one who should take the responsibility to get rid of the 4th guy.
Check to see what your lease says about 'breaking' your lease? What penalties would result if two of you moved out?
Good luck but it seems to me that something sure backfired!
Iddabiddy35
 
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