Roommate Changes: Adding, Dropping, & Replacing Roommates

Did you get a new job? Recently graduate? Find the perfect house? Start a new relationship or finish an old one? Or are you simply looking to go in a different direction than your current roommate(s)?

If you are looking to move out and at least one of your current roommates with us is looking to remain in the unit, you will be performing a Roommate Change!

It is very important to keep your local Wiechmann office updated with regard to any changes in who is living in your apartment. If your ex moves out and you don't tell us, then you renew with us for another three years, at final move-out, your ex has claim to the security deposit resolution. If you have someone move in as your roommate and we find that unauthorized person living there, you would be assessed a $200/mo unauthorized/ illegal resident fine.

Please, let us help you avoid difficult financial situations by keeping us in the loop and following the below suggestions & directions.

Roommate Drop: If a roommate will be moving out and a replacement roommate is not desired or found, we are able to reprocess the remaining resident's information to see if they qualify on their own for the apartment. If they do not, we would ask them to find a cosigner to apply with them. If no cosigner or replacement roommate can be found, the departing roommate cannot and will not be removed from the lease or liability for the unit.

Roommate Change: If you will be finding a replacement roommate, please be aware that all current residents, departing residents, and replacement residents will be required to sign off on the change. We cannot and will not make a unilateral change to a lease; all parties must agree to the change. People have been able to find mutually-acceptable replacement roommates by checking their local university's "Roommates Wanted" pages, Facebook Marketplace, and even Craigslist. Our office is not  able to help you find (a) replacement roommate(s).

Roommate Change & Roommate Add-On:  In all circumstances, any incoming resident or cosigner must complete and submit an application to our office for processing. No one is permitted to move in to any of our units without completing & submitting an application, being approved, signing the Roommate Change/ Add-On Agreement, & signing the lease. If someone moves in before the above is completed, there will be a $200 illegal resident fine.

It is critical to understand & adhere to the following directions : 

• Performing a Roommate Change that adheres to the below instructions does not constitute a breach of lease, nor does it violate, nullify, or void the lease agreement. There are no financial penalties against the security deposit for performing a Roommate Change in accordance with the following directions.

• All parties on the current, active lease will remain liable for rent & damages until the following is completed, the Roommate Change Agreement is completely signed, and the new Lease Agreement is completely signed. Regardless of physical location, every party involved (excluding departing cosigners) must sign. 

• The security deposit transfer, if any, must be handled amongst the residents. Under no circumstances will Wiechmann Enterprises refund any portion of the security deposit before a full and complete move out. The Roommate Change Agreement, to be drafted by our office upon approval of the replacement roommate(s), must be completely signed before a roommate change may take effect.

• At least one original tenant must remain on the lease for a roommate change to take place. If no original roommate remains, a move out inspection must be completed; this is no longer a “roommate change,” but rather a new move-in. 

• All rent, fines, utility charges, and other fees must be paid in full before a change can occur. The following should be submitted to our office no later than thirty (30) days prior to the roommate change effective date UNLESS an alternative time frame is permitted in writing by our office: 

- A completed rental application for every new potential tenant

- A completed rental application for every new potential cosigner, if applicable 

- Proof of income (ie paystubs, bank statements, offer letters, etc) 

- A $20.00 application fee per applicant

PDF of application available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_w-9XU_MS5YkKTK3wrIVO4rr2bHko9MR/view?usp=sharing

PDF of federally-mandated lead-based paint disclosure for properties constructed before 1978: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16tqdoF3vkpqVneKHm2J3IZ_xpkXJNjb8/view?usp=sharing

***This information must be submitted as one complete package to request a roommate change***

NOTE: Our office will take no action to implement a roommate change if an incomplete package (anything less than all of the above required items) is submitted. 

Once we receive all required paperwork, we will process the request for roommate change. If the new applicants are accepted, a new lease agreement and roommate change letter will be drafted. We will require signatures from all parties involved: departing, remaining, and incoming residents & remaining and incoming cosigners. Once all signatures are collected and the above requirements met, the roommate change will then be legal and in effect.

The above info is available as a PDF here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A663e33HsOn5_XO4pbsA5JaAda2Jj3zy/view?usp=sharing

While our office plays no role in the departing, current, & replacement roommates'  Security Deposit  arrangements, we do have a recommendation for how they might be handled.  The replacement roommate should pay the departing roommate what the departing roommate paid into the security deposit in exchange for his/ her/ their keys. This can be a bit difficult to understand, so:

- Jill got a new job in Texas and will be moving out of her apartment with John. Jill paid $400 towards the security deposit on file with Wiechmann Enterprises. John & Jill agree that Mike will replace Jill as John's roommate. Mike "buys Jill out" by paying her $400 in exchange for her keys to the apartment.

The reason for this is that Mike will have claim to the money Jill paid towards the security deposit at final move-out.

- It is as though John & Jill were each told to put $400 on a table in exchange for the apartment's keys resting there. While John & Jill are living in their apartment, the $800 total is sitting on that table, waiting for them. Jill needs to move to Texas and, after signing all the paperwork, John & Mike would have claim to that $800 sitting on that table. To make things fair, Mike would pay Jill $400 now in exchange for her keys so he can have claim to Jill's $400 sitting on that table.

If no one will be replacing the departing roommate, the remaining resident would "buy out" the departing roommate in that the remaining resident would pay the departing roommate what the departing roommate paid towards the security deposit.

>>>>>>> Helpful Hint: You are able to view who paid what towards the deposit on your Tenant Portal. Simply click on the "Payments" tab, then on the "View full account ledger" button.

There are times when one roommate has paid more towards the security deposit on file. For example, the base deposit for Mary, James, Mark, & Anne's apartment is $1520; each person paid $380 towards that. However, Anne had paid an additional $250 towards the deposit because she has a cat. Anne & Mark are moving out & will be replaced by Beth & Bob. Beth pays Anne $380 in exchange for Anne's keys and claim to Anne's $380 she'd paid towards the deposit. Bob pays Mark $380 in exchange for Mark's keys and claim to Mark's $380 he'd paid towards the deposit. But what do they do with the extra $250 Anne paid? There are two options:

- Beth may pay Anne an additional $250 in exchange for claim to the $250 Anne had paid towards the deposit. This means that Beth will have claim to more of the security deposit resolution at final move-out than Mary, James, & Bob, and that she has to come up with $630 in order to move in.

- Mary, James, Beth, & Bob may each pay Anne $62.50 so each of the four remaining & replacement roommates has equal claim to the security deposit resolution at final move-out.

It is important to understand that water/ sewer bills are charged in arrears . That means that if someone moves out on July 31st, the water/ sewer bill for the usage during the month of July would arrive on/ after August 21st. We encourage roommates to plan ahead for this expense and either have the departing roommate(s) pay a bit extra on the account to go towards the next water/ sewer bill, or to decrease the amount they get from their replacement in exchange for their keys. Your local office would be able to give you an estimate of what the upcoming water/ sewer bill charge would be. It is also possible for the departing roommate(s) to cut (a) check(s) for or Venmo/ Zelle/ PayPal the funds to the remaining resident(s) once the water/ sewer bill is posted. While this later option would yield an exact dollar amount due to the remaining resident(s), it requires the remaining resident(s) stay in touch with the departing resident after he/ she/ they leave.