Asking for Landlord advice with Tenant discrimination / co-tenant co-sign laws

Submitted by jibbiriffs t3_zz2r31 in rva

In a tricky LL situation
Landlord is writing up a new lease because current tenant whose signature is on the lease is leaving, but is forcing me to just have my signature as opposed to an additional signature from the new tenant. Can he legally keep me from having an additional signature on the lease? To clarify—this current lease with the two signatures would be closing, then a new one with just allowing only my signature will exist in it's place.

In addition to this information, i had a strange phone call about talking about the new tenant—my Landlord was asking specifically if they were a woman ('is it another woman?') & asking if the new tenant had a mental disability (former tenant had a registered Emotional Support Animal for their mental disability & that was causing problems for the LandLord), which all seemed so discriminatory. He was telling me the tenant from down the hall had to pay him money from a 'woman' taking over & leaving the place, as a means to CAUTION me. So when i have someone lined up with a security deposit on top of their rents/pet fees/ application fee & dishes out this obstacle on me.

I suppose i'm more ranting about LL shinanigans but also i just feel like i'm getting bullied by my landlord. Dude agreed to have an additional signature on it but then takes it completely back & says my signature has to be on it until april in this new lease i'm receiving today.

I'm basically just trying to receive proper information so i can exercise my rights as a tenant properly, thank you in advance

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Comments

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testingforscience122 t1_j299pay wrote

Um just seems like your landlord is hoping you will leave, probably doesn’t like the previous contract either.

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Charlesinrichmond t1_j297an6 wrote

so this sounds weird but not off. Hurts the landlord theoretically if they don't have 2 signatures. To your advantage to have 1.

Given everyone is going to see this as a benefit to you, it's going to be tough to to get help...

But you don't have to sign lease, you can move out if your lease is up.

I guess I don't really see the issue here?

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bkemp1984Part2 t1_j29k1m4 wrote

Heh, yeah, I'd want all the signatures in the world if I was the landlord. Though, I could see OP also not liking to be the only one on the lease....the other person might not feel much obligation to pay since they aren't formally on the hook for anything. I feel like them being on the lease makes it more likely they'll pay their half.

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Charlesinrichmond t1_j2a5chw wrote

That makes sense. There has got to be something more to this because normally as you say landlords want every single signature possible on the lease

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jibbiriffs OP t1_j29rqwf wrote

the issue is that i want the liability split with the other room mate. Not just all on myself. The liability that a roommate will be obligated to pay.

Also with the security deposit, the former roommate is getting theirs back so, i would need to get a security deposit from the new person to give to the landlord. Shouldn't that be written down so my new roomie gets the deposit back, for more assurance?

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Charlesinrichmond t1_j2b4wh2 wrote

You can do your own lease with your roommate if you want to protect yourself with that

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FromTheIsle t1_j2b5dpt wrote

The landlord probably shouldn't be giving the old roommate rhe deposit back until you move out. This is the exact shit landlords do that gets them in hot water. Fairly certain that's a violation of escrow law. But yes you are right this stuff should be documented in the lease.

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FromTheIsle t1_j2b53sp wrote

Sounds like we are missing some information possibly? I'm not really understanding why he essentially wants to allow your roommate to live there without being on the lease but is willing to put them on a new lease in April...im guessing your original lease ends in April and the lease you are signing now is am updated lease? Are you actually signing a whole new lease or it is an add/drop addendum? It just seems wierd that he wants to sign a lease now and then again in April.

When I was a PM I used to say we protected landlords from themselves because they are often spiteful and clueless. That said, fair housing laws don't prevent someone from inquiring if a tenant will require an accommodation (like a support animal). That said, he shouldn't be asking you about it...he should be vetting the new roommate just like he hopefully did for you and adding them to the lease. Your roommate's information is private and even you should not be discussing it.

I'm not seeing anything discriminatory here necessarily. He just sounds like a dumbass.

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