Can I be evicted for my roommate’s actions?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can I be evicted for my roommate’s actions?
My roommate and I were given a 3-day notice to vacate (nuisance). My roommate forgot about a container he had filling with water; it flooded the kitchen floor and then our downstairs neighbor’s apartment. Am I legally subject to this 3-day ultimatum? Am I responsible for his nuisance? Also, neither of us clean the place enough, so would that also constitute a nuisance?
Asked on May 25, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Utah
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Unfortunately you can be evicted for the actions of your roommate. When you signed your lease, you became "jointly and severally liable" for the each other's actions. Consequently you both can be served a notice to quit for breach of the lease, whether or not your roommate's actions were intentional. Additionally, if neither of you clean the premises adequately, then you are just as liable as your roommate.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.