Ohio - if a co-tenant moves out whose responsibility is it to ensure lease is updated

[Brandon McCombs]

I had 2 tenants (male and female) in the same unit a while back. They both signed the lease. The guy of the couple wasn't really living there most of the time because he traveled for work his business probably 90% of the time. He was helping out with rent most of the time back then. I was never really sure of his relationship with the woman. She would call him a boyfriend but he would say she's just a family friend.

Anyway, he eventually did 'move out'. I never saw him there for the few times a year that I would do inspections. She eventually got a new boyfriend supposedly but I never saw him there and as far as I know he didn't stay overnight and I never saw his stuff there to worry about adding that person to the lease. I never actually knew when the original male co-tenant actually moved out because they didn't tell me for who knows how long after it happened. She took over paying rent but since her jobs weren't high paying she would sometimes need the original male co-tenant to send me a check. I figured if he's still helping with rent then he should say on the lease.

She was causing problems though over the years and eventually I got tired of it so about a year ago I kicked her out. I had to fix damages and clean extensively after she left. She eventually got arrested and sent to jail right after I kicked her out so suing her for add'l damages above the security deposit amount would be easy to get the judgement but difficult to get paid back. I thought of suing the boyfriend but he claims he shouldn't still be on the lease because he moved out. But neither of them ever told me to remove him and if he's still paying rent sometimes then it made sense to me to keep him on it.

Does anyone have thoughts/advice on this situation?