Roommate situation gone wrong, now miserable

[Zamboni]

So is old deadbeat roommate actually gone now, vacated along with all of her stuff?

[marble_faun]

HURRAH!!!  I'm glad you managed to shake the deadbeat, and that the friends who had expressed concern actually did step up to help.

Good work!

[Villanelle]

*Please* get something in writing from this new roommate.  Even if you just write it up yourselves and sign it, that's far better than nothing.  This situation does sound better, but if you don't at least do that, you've learned nothing!

[Miss Piggy]

Awesome job, Lisa.  This sounds like a pretty happy ending to me.

Ditto...with a special emphasis on the "Awesome job, Lisa" part. That could not have been easy for you.

[robartsd]

I can't imagine that the landlord wouldn't want to sign with the new roommate. In most cases they'd write up the paperwork so that they can go after either of you for all the costs regardless of what agreement you work out between yourselves. I'm glad I've never had to deal with a bad roommate situation (I was never a master tenant subletting to others though). I wouldn't count your chickens before they hatch - keep moving forward with the moving out plan until bad roommate actually is vacated. When new roommate moves in, you can share the "good news" that she took over the lease and you can afford to rent from her (works best if she's on landlord's lease; reinforced if you do leave in March as planed ans she stays) so now you don't have to move.

[Cassie]

So glad it worked out. I would have found it hard to jump her car too but you need to look out for yourself. She was clearly taking advantage.

[Catbert]

And she found another sucker.  Get the locks changed and the new roomate on the lease before she wears out her welcome at the new place.  I'm guessing she adept at finding (and keeping) a new sucker as often as needed.

[Padonak]

If the deadbeat is gone, don't forget to change the locks. Tell the landlord company you lost your keys, want to change the locks just in case and will give them a copy of the new keys. Or just ask the landlord to change the locks.

[CrustyBadger]

I was super hesitant to try the roommate thing again, but I've known her and her whole family for 17 years now, so I feel like I have a better sense of what I'm getting into.

(snip)

So it probably sounds like I'm making the same mistake all over again, but even if I get a few months of rent out of her and then it turns out the whole world is nothing but deadbeats I'm still in a better position than I am now.

Lisa, I just wanted to say that when I was in my 20s I lived in a variety of roommate and house sharing situations.  (I moved a lot only because my roommates left or the house sold, or I got a new, better job across town.) In every case it was a perfectly fine situation.  Some were better than others, but it usually worked out just fine.  If having a roommate makes sense for you financially, don't let this one incident scare you off.

[BicycleB]

Congrats for taking action!

As others have said, do follow through - keep up the moving out motions, don't talk about the new roomie, do get the new roomie on the lease. I definitely like the "my other friend saved me by taking over the lease" idea about explaining the new roomie to friends afterward.

That said, your main friend group sounds like what my dad would have called a circle of patsies. If New Roomie is not as good as you hope, learn from your mistakes and upgrade your roommate search and management procedures. I have over a decade of happy roommate experience, but did read a book on "how to interview" early on, and did use explicit agreements.

PS. I think your new roomie will probably be great, but it's always smart to make sure all the bases are covered.

[Linea_Norway]

If the deadbeat is gone, don't forget to change the locks. Tell the landlord company you lost your keys, want to change the locks just in case and will give them a copy of the new keys. Or just ask the landlord to change the locks.

A cheap way can also be to change only the inside of the lock, the cylinder.

[ericrugiero]

OP I'm glad things seem to be working out.  Be sure you get your new roommate on the lease.  Tell your landlord you can't afford it by yourself and will either need to break the lease and move out or bring in a new roommate.