Tenant want to break lease due to “serious medical issues”

[Andrew Marzec]

Hi All- I am looking for some advice on a tenant issue I encountered this weekend.

A little background first. I own 4 rental properties in a college town and rent to the students who attend the University. I have yet to have any issues with tenants as I like to think I do a pretty good job screening them or getting parent guarantors.

This weekend I had a mother text me saying that she tried to contact me two weeks ago and never heard back from me (I never received any calls/text/emails/or PM from this person). She proceeded to tell me that her daughter will not be living in the house anymore because she had to withdraw from the university due to “serious medical issues”. I said that I understand and am

Sympathetic, however there is a lease in place that her daughter is responsible for. I told the parent that her daughter either needs to find a replacement to take over her lease or she needs to continue to pay for her place in the house during her absence.

The mother was very short with me and more or less told me that I’m not hearing her correctly and the daughter will not be coming back. I do not have a lease with the parent, only the daughter.

What should my next steps be? The tenant is non responsive to calls/texts/emails, and the mother didn’t seem like she was willing to work something out. Just looking for some guidance as I have yet to deal with this type of situation. Thanks!

[Cameron Tope]

@Andrew Marzec I've had similar issues with our college student tenants. When something like this comes up (where one tenant wants out) we let everyone on the lease know that the tenants are "joint and severably liable" for the lease. Reiterating that if we have to file an eviction on one tenant then it will go on all tenants. 

Usually this is enough to get the other tenants to either find a replacement or the tenant to pay out their lease. 

While it's an unfortunate situation, and we'll work with the tenants as much as we can, it's a contract that needs to be upheld. 

Best of luck!