Please please please help me! I need some help with this situation:
Short(er) Version: My lease with Roomie ends May 31. Our agreement was for a year, as roomie doesn't know her plans for next year yet and wont for a while. I said that was fine. I found a new roommate who needs to move in June 1. I want to renew the lease, but roomie now wants to stay for the summer (past the end of our lease). She suggested either the 3 of us live in the 2 bedroom apt for the summer (im assuming she means she'd get to keep her room to herself and we would have to share?) or her trying to talk the landlord into letting her renew for 2 months herself this summer. I don't know if landlord will allow this, but if so, I will have to find a new apartment. She doesn't want to find a sublease because she thinks it would be too inconvenient to move twice (when our lease ends, and when she'd have to move into her new apartment - wherever that is - might be in another state). I'm hoping landlord will tell her no on the 2 month lease - however, I'd then expect roomie to beg me to let her stay. Help! I really want to stay in this apartment, and so does my future roommate.
Longer Overview: I am a law student (3 year program) and signed a lease on a 2 bedroom apartment last spring w/ plans to stay assuming I liked the place. I decided to live with a friend from undergrad who was taking a year off, but she said she'd only be able to stay for a year because she'd be going to grad school afterwards and didn't know where she would end up. I said one year was fine, and that I'd find a new roommate for the next 2 years. We considered it "my" apartment (I found it, she knew my plan was to hopefully stay all 3 years while hers was temporary, and we made our furnishing purchases accordingly - ex: she bought a TV, I bought furniture that was tailored to the place, such as stools for the kitchen/bar counter) - however, she signed on to the lease as well. I lined up a replacement roommate for after roomie leaves, but roomie wants to stay past the end of our lease. She had assumed either I'd renew but let her stay as long as she needed (and then magically find a roommate mid summer) or I'd leave and landlord would let her have the place for 2 months. She never really gave thought to the fact that I would stay but that the replacement roommate would need to move in June 1. (Most leases end May 31).
Roomie's brother lives 5 minutes away in a 1-bedroom, and I suggested she live with him (ithis way if she decided last minute she'd be staying in town she could just sign a new lease starting June 1). However, she says his apartment is too small. I said I could help her find a sublease and even help her move, but she said she doesnt want to move - too inconvenient. She doesn't want to look for a sublease. She suggested the 3 of us living together for the summer (which is not practical - the apartment is 2 bedrooms and one studio-style main room so there is no living room to convert into a third bedroom) or her staying there herself for the summer (assuming the landlord is willing to do that, even though she - ahem, her parents - would be paying for double rent, utilities, etc).
The 3 of us living together is just not practical, and new roomie and I do not want to do this. I also don't want to have this stress during finals (end of April, early May) and have to look for a new apartment. I looked for a long time last year, and I really like this place. I think it's unfair for me to have to give up a place I'd like to live in for the next 2 years just because she wants to live there for 2 more months. I really don't want to get into a battle with the landlord ("i'll resign the lease for 2 months!" "well I'll resign for a year!" although I do think I'd win that lol)
How can I handle this fairly? What would you suggest?
Short(er) Version: My lease with Roomie ends May 31. Our agreement was for a year, as roomie doesn't know her plans for next year yet and wont for a while. I said that was fine. I found a new roommate who needs to move in June 1. I want to renew the lease, but roomie now wants to stay for the summer (past the end of our lease). She suggested either the 3 of us live in the 2 bedroom apt for the summer (im assuming she means she'd get to keep her room to herself and we would have to share?) or her trying to talk the landlord into letting her renew for 2 months herself this summer. I don't know if landlord will allow this, but if so, I will have to find a new apartment. She doesn't want to find a sublease because she thinks it would be too inconvenient to move twice (when our lease ends, and when she'd have to move into her new apartment - wherever that is - might be in another state). I'm hoping landlord will tell her no on the 2 month lease - however, I'd then expect roomie to beg me to let her stay. Help! I really want to stay in this apartment, and so does my future roommate.
Longer Overview: I am a law student (3 year program) and signed a lease on a 2 bedroom apartment last spring w/ plans to stay assuming I liked the place. I decided to live with a friend from undergrad who was taking a year off, but she said she'd only be able to stay for a year because she'd be going to grad school afterwards and didn't know where she would end up. I said one year was fine, and that I'd find a new roommate for the next 2 years. We considered it "my" apartment (I found it, she knew my plan was to hopefully stay all 3 years while hers was temporary, and we made our furnishing purchases accordingly - ex: she bought a TV, I bought furniture that was tailored to the place, such as stools for the kitchen/bar counter) - however, she signed on to the lease as well. I lined up a replacement roommate for after roomie leaves, but roomie wants to stay past the end of our lease. She had assumed either I'd renew but let her stay as long as she needed (and then magically find a roommate mid summer) or I'd leave and landlord would let her have the place for 2 months. She never really gave thought to the fact that I would stay but that the replacement roommate would need to move in June 1. (Most leases end May 31).
Roomie's brother lives 5 minutes away in a 1-bedroom, and I suggested she live with him (ithis way if she decided last minute she'd be staying in town she could just sign a new lease starting June 1). However, she says his apartment is too small. I said I could help her find a sublease and even help her move, but she said she doesnt want to move - too inconvenient. She doesn't want to look for a sublease. She suggested the 3 of us living together for the summer (which is not practical - the apartment is 2 bedrooms and one studio-style main room so there is no living room to convert into a third bedroom) or her staying there herself for the summer (assuming the landlord is willing to do that, even though she - ahem, her parents - would be paying for double rent, utilities, etc).
The 3 of us living together is just not practical, and new roomie and I do not want to do this. I also don't want to have this stress during finals (end of April, early May) and have to look for a new apartment. I looked for a long time last year, and I really like this place. I think it's unfair for me to have to give up a place I'd like to live in for the next 2 years just because she wants to live there for 2 more months. I really don't want to get into a battle with the landlord ("i'll resign the lease for 2 months!" "well I'll resign for a year!" although I do think I'd win that lol)
How can I handle this fairly? What would you suggest?
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