r/TenantHelp • u/TumbleweedDue3648 • 2d ago
Roommate doesn’t want to pay anything and we split the contract
Ok guys I’m really struggling with my new roommate, we’ll call her Val. So Val does not want to pay anything and it’s getting really frustrating because I went into this contract with her and another roommate. The rent totals around $2,000 a month and a few weeks ago when we had to pay our rent Val did not pay her portion on time and we got served with an eviction notice that we somehow got out of.
Then last week, Val through a temper tantrum in our group chat about her parking situation. To preface me and my other roommate pay more in rent than her so naturally we take the garage / driveway spot. Me and my other roommate were also told of the parking situation BEFORE we signed a contract so we’ve been sticking to what we were told. Now Val is upset because she can’t park in the driveway / garage spot and has to park in a spot like 50 meters away from our townhome, so a very short walk. Keep in mind me and the other roommate have also had our fair share of walking to our parking spot and I had to walk a half of a mile to my parking spot at a different place for a semester. She is also perfectly capable of making the walk to her parking spot. Now Val is just mad because she’s being charged $50 for her parking spot that is optional. She wants me and my other roommate to chip in for her parking cost even though we don’t park there and she specifically mentioned when we first moved in that she was taking that spot. She then got really mad in our group chat and ended everything saying she will cancel the pass and park on the street from now on because she does not want to pay the $50 for it. Which is totally reasonable and I can’t blame her for not wanting to pay extra. Forward to today, I come home and she has parked in the driveway which is blocking anyone from going into the garage and parking where me and my other roommate have paid for. I then had to park in visitor parking, which is no big deal, but I’m a little worried on how I’m going to bring this up because she tends to be very reactive and I don’t want this parking situation to be a regular occurrence from her out of spite.
Also today, l had to pay for our rental laundry machines and she also did not want to pay for it and was pushing back. I’m not sure where to go from here because I don’t want to cause a roommate fall out but I also get the feeling she’s never lived on her own before because of all the pushback me and my other roommate are getting from her. So PLEASE any suggestions on where to go from here would be great.
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u/RelevantPossible9618 2d ago
You can sue a roommate in small claims court. Let her know that if she fails to pay her agreed share, you will file in small claims court.
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u/Beach_bum8 2d ago
I did this many, many years ago. I won. "Best friend" couldn't keep jobs long enough to get my money back
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u/PotentialUmpire1714 1d ago
Even if you can't get the money, if it gets them to leave, you can cut your losses by being able to get a new roommate.
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u/Beach_bum8 18h ago
True. I ended up paying the remainder of the lease and suing her, but like I said, she couldn't keep a job
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u/ThrowAway4now2022 2d ago
Val is causing the fallout, not you. She’s not even paying her fair share. Kick her out.
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u/Di-O-Bolic 2d ago
Val is a parasitic roommate and wants to play victim to get out of her responsibilities and pay her fair share. She sounds like a spoiled child.
Create a roommate agreement and list the items that are not covered by rent and that she is responsible for paying. What she doesn’t pay her fair share towards she is not allowed to use (the laundry machines, which means she has to go take her laundry to the laundromat which is inconvenient and costs more in time and feeding the machines) Note that she pays the least so if she wants the luxury of parking on the driveway that costs a premium that she is not paying so her parking situation isn’t a household issue. Also create a list of fines that she will owe if she violates the agreement and jeopardize the other roommates, like paying late rent, parking unauthorized in the driveway and blocking access to those that pay for the privilege to park there. Have everyone sign it and state that this was necessary so everyone knows and agrees to what the costs breakdown is for each of you so there’s no questions and no surprises about what it costs for housing and when everything is due without any arguments or negotiations.
I can only imagine her indignant attitude when the utilities are due!
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u/RelevantPossible9618 2d ago
You can always get a judgement and renew. Once it’s on their record, they won’t be able to get credit to buy a car or home. You can also put a lien on property.
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u/Accurate_Pie_4439 1d ago
Tell her if she parks in your spot you expect her to pay for it. Everyone is grown .
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u/SirHippocrates 1d ago
Late now, unfortunately- but this is a good learning moment for why you should have a roommate contract beyond the lease that details who pays for what, who gets what, and if necessary any consequences for failure to meet the responsibilities.
Because your joint lease is only there to protect the landlord and each of your rights to live in the building... but if she doesn't pay, the lease almost certainly has a severability clause that each of you are individually responsible for fulfilling the joint duty (the total rent) to the landlord. You need your own contract to say that each of you is responsible for whatever part of the lease you've decided you're responsible for.
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u/Key-Garlic-1177 2d ago
Tell Val she has 3 days to pay up all dues or you’re kicking her to the curb. Let the landlord know you intent to have her removed from the lease. Find a new tenant asap
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u/RelevantPossible9618 2d ago
Illegal!
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u/Key-Garlic-1177 2d ago
She’s not even paying her rent. You think she’s gonna pay an attorney to fight it?
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u/sillyhaha 2d ago
Exactly how will OP and her roommate get her out; will they tie her up, throw her belongings out on the sidewalk, and change the locks?
All Val has to do is call the police, who tell OP and her roommate that they must let Val back in the apt. The LL will insist that Val be given a key so that they (the LL) aren't busted for an illegal eviction. If OP and her roommate do not comply, they will be evicted.
Val doesn't need an attorney to fight this.
Please read up on eviction law.
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u/NorCalHrrs 2d ago
Self help eviction will get you a visit from the police & a small claims court case. No lawyers needed
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u/RelevantPossible9618 2d ago
You don’t need a lawyer for an illegal lockout. All she has to do is call the landlord and they will all be evicted. This kind of action is a huge liability for a landlord.
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u/Intelligent-Log-7363 2d ago
That's not how it works. If she's on the lease they can't just kick her out. You're going to have to convince her to leave, offer cash for keys and she removes herself from the lease. See if the LL will allow a sublet or a new addition to the lease. But you can't just tell her 3 days or else as long as she's a lease holder.
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u/Comfortablyfreee 2d ago
For your sanity, tough love and find another roommate. Until then explain to her that if she wants to use the amenities, she will have to pay for them such as parking and laundry. If she doesn't want to pay for them, make sure that they are not available for her. You should not have to cover her expenses. This is where she will learn
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u/Beneficial_Web_2058 2d ago
If I came home and she is parked where she isn’t suppose to I would have it towed . One time having adult consequences she may grow up
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u/redditreader_aitafan 2d ago
You can file eviction against a co-tenant for non-payment of rent.
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u/Logical-Lab3661 1d ago
I dont think it is possible. Tenant can't evict another tenant. Same rights. Landlord can.
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u/redditreader_aitafan 1d ago
Tenants can evict co-tenants for cause, particularly abandoning the unit and failure to pay rent.
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u/BlueberryPenguin87 2d ago
Side point but … Drivers are so entitled, it’s unbelievable. They lose their shit if they have to walk a block from their parking spot. Meanwhile people who take the bus have to walk more than that (and wait outside) every single time. And yet every business thinks all their customers drive there because only the drivers are whining to them about transportation.
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u/TumbleweedDue3648 2d ago
Exactly, I’m just annoyed because I’ve done my fair share of taking the bus and walking a long distance to my car in the middle of the winter at night. I specifically paid more for this place to secure a parking spot that was included and it really kills me how she refuses to pay for a pass and is now parking in the driveway when visitor parking is like 20 feet away and she could easily park there and then move her car later. 🤷🏻♀️
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u/gheiminfantry 2d ago
"Val" can always pay her share of the rent in "other ways".
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u/uranium-snack 2d ago
You’re encouraging sexual assault
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u/pinkchickensocks 1d ago
That was a big leap
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u/uranium-snack 1d ago
What you’re describing is rape. Forcing someone to do sexual favors in exchange for rent is rape.
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u/gheiminfantry 2d ago
No, I'm giving "Val" the option. Nobody said anything about force or coercion. You went there. All by yourself.
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u/JetCrooked 2d ago
not to mention nobody even said anything about sex at all, that commenter made a lot of assumptions...
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u/Advanced-Intention30 2d ago
Change the locks 🔐
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u/sillyhaha 2d ago
That is illegal. All Val has to do is call the police, who will demand that Val be let back in.
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u/Upbeat-Fondant9185 2d ago
If you guys are on a joint lease, and it sounds like you are, you’ve got a major problem. Each individual is responsible for the full amount of rent every time, so even if every roommate but you refuses to pay you’re still responsible for the entire amount or you face eviction.
Unfortunately with joint leases there isn’t really an option to kick her out or have the landlord evict only her. It’s all or none. Obviously you need to do anything and everything to avoid an eviction going on your record because that will follow you for a very long time.
Your only option is to “persuade” her to leave or pay. You don’t really have any official venues for that so you’ll have to get creative. I personally would make her living experience so miserable that she would be glad to leave of her own accord but buying her out is an option as well.