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The original was posted on /r/amitheasshole by /u/malevoryes on 2024-01-19 10:38:05+00:00.
My roommate and I both have our names on our lease that was renewed back in Oct 2023 which ends on Nov 2024. We made an agreement with each other that we would each be paying for half of the total monthly rent, and this agreement has been in place since before the lease renewal.
At the end of December 2023 he told me he found a better opportunity and would be moving out in January.
He told me that if we paid $[x] between the two of us, we could buy out of the lease completely and it would count for our rent payments for 2 months after that (we need a 2 months written notice to terminate the lease.) If that was the case, I told him I wouldn't mind paying for half of it because it would be cheaper for both of us in the long run - mutually beneficial.
However, sensing this was total B.S. I spoke with my property manager who clarified that the $[x] is a separate charge and we are still rent responsible for the following 2 months after that notice is given (so March 31st if we gave our notice before the 31st of this month). That made more sense. I do not feel comfortable paying half of the termination fee out of my own pocket simply so he can move out while I stay here.
When I expressed to him that I would not pay half of the $[x] just so he can leave, I was told by him that we will "cross this bridge when we get there."
He decided yesterday that he would "help me" with rent until the end of February. "Help me..." meaning that he shows no intention of paying his part of the rent after that point. Keep in mind: his name is still on the lease agreement. If he chooses to terminate the lease sometime in February if a roommate isn't found, our 2-month notice is pushed back to April 31st and we are both still rent responsible until then. That's 2 full months of rent that he has no intention of paying.
I am unable to pay the entire rent on my own which means that he will have the face the consequences just as much as I would if he refuses to pay his half. This also means that even though he is searching for a roommate, I am in search of a roommate myself as well simply out of fear and obligation. I do not feel like I should be responsible for not finding a roommate if a roommate is not found. I also recognize that since I cannot pay the rent fully on my own, we will both be legally responsible when he decides to stop paying.
So, I am kindly asking if AITA for
A) Alerting him that I will not be accepting responsibility for paying the possible termination fee if it was his choice to leave in the first place
B) Letting him know that I will not be accepting responsibility for finding a roommate to fill the spot that he is leaving behind and letting him know that said responsibility is his own