My sub-lessor was laid off and moved out. I kept the deposit so I have a month to find another sub-lessor. The main lease ends in 3 months. This is a two-bedroom, two bathroom apartment and I occupy the other room.
I'm not sure whether to extend the lease or to move out. I told my landlord that I might extend it to at least December 2016 (by 6 months). He said he would give me the same lease terms, so there won't be a rent increase.
To make matters more complicated, I may have to move around December or a few months after that. My boyfriend and I are planning to relocate but we don't know when it will happen. He's a software engineer and he just started looking for work west of the Rockies. I should be able to work from home. We're working through a pre-marital planning workbook so we're approaching marriage intentionally but I don't yet have 100% guarantee that we will definitely marry. I asked him if he would consider moving in with me, so that I would not have to deal with a sub-lessor's lease when we move on, but he is reluctant to do so since it would give him a 60-90 minute commute. His current commute is under 30 minutes.
It's taken three years, and I've finally been able to furnish my apartment so that it feels like home. I would like to take my furniture with me when we relocate (oriental carpets, living room set, dining table, kitchenware, bureau). If my boyfriend and I don't end up getting married, I would buy a house. Should this occur, I would want to keep my furniture. However, I may have to sell off or put my furniture in storage if I move to another apartment.
Here are what I see as potential options - what do you advise?
1) Staying and renting out the second room - this would allow me to have a low-cost rent in a high cost of living area. It would also mean that I wouldn't have to deal with two moves in 12 months or stress about selling off or storing my furniture. But I'm stressed about the turnover and the work involved in finding another housemate. Finding a replacement has taken two months each time. For each month that I don't sublet the room, I have to cough out $600.
2) Move out in 3 months and move into a studio. It would cost an extra $300 a month and moving twice in one year. On the other hand, it would eliminate the issue of finding a housemate and allow me to keep my own furniture. This is an expensive proposition for furniture that cost me a grand total of $350 (and a lot of time - they were carefully selected thrift shop and hand-me-down items) to acquire. Note that if I move out, I would still be on the hook for two months of the second bedroom's rent, so that would be $1200 on top of the rent increase.
3) Move out in 3 months and rent a room in another apartment in June- Rent would be the same, but I would need to get rid of all of my furniture or put them in storage. Most of the available rooms I've seen are small and the rest of the apartments are fully furnished. As with option two, I would still have to cover the rest of the rent for two months, for a total of $1200.
A lot of issues are getting conflated here - marriage, furniture, relocation, an uncertain future....Right now I'm leaning toward staying put, finding another housemate, and dealing with the relocation issue once my boyfriend finds his next job and we have agreed to marry. I feel that I can't plan my life around his job or living situation unless he (and we) have settled on a job and marriage. However, I'm not sure staying in this apartment is the best way forward given the stress around finding housemates. But I'm also too Mustachian to willingly pay an extra $300 in rent.
What would you do if you were in my shoes?
Thanks!