Couple on the lease breaking up

[Shaun R.]

I've got new tenants that have only been in the house for one month. It's a couple and a roommate in a 3 bedroom house. I see the girl in the couple emailed me asking to get off the lease because she and the boyfriend has a "bad breakup". All three of them are on the lease, and she makes as much money as the other two combined.  Without her income they wouldn't have qualified for the home.

How do you handle this situation? Obviously I can't make her stay in the house if they breakup.

[Anthony Wick]

Talk to all three of the roommates and find out what they, as a whole, would like to do. If 2 of the 3 wish to stay, I would not release the third from the lease. It's either release all three, or keep all three on the legal paperwork. However, I would not fight to keep them in your property. You want to fight that fight every month for the next 10-11 months? If they are uncertain, let them know you can attempt to find a new tenant, but they are all responsible for the rent until you can fill a vacancy. Why do this? Because this is exactly what you'd have to do if a tenant broke the lease and moved out early. And, if you force them to stay, and they end up not being able to pay the rent, then no rent and/or eviction is what you just forced yourself into. One of my units is rented to a couple and a young child, and they are not married. I had no problem renting to them, and would do so in the future as well. My criteria doesn't include their marital status. It includes credit score, income, eviction history, etc.