rlbond86

I'm going to be a senior in college and my girlfriend is about to graduate. My two roommates and I are about to sign a lease to rent a house next year.

My girlfriend and I have talked about her moving in and sharing a bedroom with me (and paying her share of the rent). My roommates have stated that they are OK with this.

My question is, what are the legal things we need to do? We don't know for sure if this is going to happen. If she ends up doing it, what do I tell my landlord? Do we need a brand new lease, or can she just be added on? Can the landlord legally prevent her from moving in?

Thanks you guys.

ColonelSpecial

I don't know what city you are living in but in my city there is a 'you plus two' rule on the city law books. It means that you can only live with two other people in a house/apartment. It is meant to keep noise down, number of parties to a minimum, etc. If your city doesn't have a rule like this, you are golden there.

If you are renting from a company, they might have their own rules about occupancy and you will have to ask them. If you are renting from a private person, that person might be more open to letting her stay. I would give the landlord a call as soon as possible to see what will need to happen (I am sure you were going to do this anyway). Even if the landlord doesn't require a new lease, I would recommend having a new one drawn up and signed by all parties anyway. It is good protection in case you break up, if your friends decide that she can't stay, you want to get out of the lease, etc. Good luck.

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jewels

Are you planning on paying her share of the rent? What happens if one of the two of you wants out of the relationship? Cover your ass (yes don't let her in without her name on the lease) or you could end up paying yours and hers.

Business and pleasure don't make good bed fellows. Or is it business and pleasure don't mix well.

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snowy

For both your sakes, if you can get her on the lease, do it. I feel much more secure knowing my name is on my lease, along with my partner's (and my roommate's). We didn't have any problems in this respect; most landlords around here follow an n+1 rule (n=number of bedrooms) for occupancy; I live in a mid-sized college town. When you sign the initial lease, I'd run the scenario of your girlfriend moving in by the landlord. I'm sure your landlord has dealt with this sort of thing before.

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rlbond86

Ok, great idea. I will speak to the landlord about it.