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« on: April 18, 2022, 06:41:34 pm »
Hi Platonopolis,
Just to be absolutely clear, your signature is on the lease too, right? You don't need to be added to the lease, because you already signed one when you moved in, correct?
That lease is an agreement between the landlord and each of you, but not both of you. The way to acheive what you want is to make it clear to your landlord that YOU are NOT terminating your lease (i.e. the contract between you and your landlord), but that your roommate is ending theirs.
By law your roommate has to provide written notice to your landlord 60 days before they wish to terminate their lease. So have your roommate include a statement in their letter indicating that it is only them that is terminating their agreement with the landlord, and that you are not terminating yours.
After that, DON'T SIGN ANYTHING from your landlord. There is nothing in the law to stop your landlord from trying to fool you into signing a new lease (and increasing the rent if you do), but there is also nothing in the law compelling you to sign a new lease - so don't! Just stay where you are, and don't sign anything.
If you and your roommate are no longer on speaking terms (so they don't want to include a helpful statement on your behalf in their letter), then send you own letter clearly stating that you understand that your roommate is terminating their lease, but you are not terminating yours.
Send the correspondence by registered mail. Keep a copy for yourself.
Also know that I am not a lawyer, and so I cannot provide legal advice to you. The words above merely reflect my understanding of the law. You should definitely find a proper lawyer or paralegal to ask this question to. (And once you've done that, then come back here and let us know what a real lawyer has advised you to do.)