What responsibility does a tenant have if a co-tenant (roommate) fails to pay his/her share of the rent?
Usually, if both tenants have signed the lease, they are jointly and severally liable for the entire rent payment. In other words, if one tenant fails to pay a portion of the rent, both tenants can be held liable for the shortage. Therefore, both tenants can be evicted and ultimately sued for rent owed by one of the tenants. To avoid eviction, a tenant may want to cover the shortfall and then take whatever informal or legal action necessary to recover the money from the co-tenant. If only one tenant has signed the lease, that tenant is responsible for the entire rent payment. The tenant may bring a legal action against the co-tenant if s/he can prove that they agreed to both pay the rent.
