Apartment only allowing 2 people?

[crystalys]

[quote of deleted post and response]

To the OP, I am assuming you signed a written lease. It doesn't stop you from asking the LL if it can be changed in writing, but I doubt it will happen. Read your lease thoroughly to understand completely what you have signed to make a legally binding contract. You will either have to abide by it until the lease period expires or you will have to pay to break the agreement.

If you allow your boyfriend to move in without a written agreement, be prepared to be evicted because you will be in breach of your contract. I do agree with a lot of the posters on here that for a 2 bedroom up to 5 people should be allowed, but your lease dictates the terms of your agreement and you agreed to those terms when you signed it.

I really do hope you can get an addendum to the lease or a new lease that will include your boyfriend, so I think you should at least ask the LL.

[observer53]

Please keep this thread confined to the OP's question. Other aspects of her plans are off topic.

[Voebe]

I'd sure investigate it, rather than take her word for it, and rather than ask in an internet forum. No reason that a 2BR place wouldn't accommodate two parents and two children, for instance. In some cities, you can't ban a spouse or S.O. from moving in.

However, I certainly hope that you've discussed this thoroughly with your roommate first.

[EDnurse]

Originally Posted by trookwin

I recently moved into a 2 bdroom/1bathroom apartment with a roommate. My boyfriend and I also recently discussed moving in together. Unfortunately, according to the lady in the leasing office (She's not the LL), she can only allow 2 people per apartment unit. Do you think that the possibility of my boyfriend and I sharing a room is completely out of the question? I'm pretty sure that 2 people would be allowed in a 1 bedroom, but for some reason, the rule applies to all apartments. What are my options?

The only people who should be living in the apt are the ones whose names are on the lease. At this point, I suggest you find a boyfriend who has his own place and/or more money?

[PoppySead]

Why doesn't he just remain your bf and "sleep over" every night? He could pitch in for his share, and privately give some money to you for rent and you could except less from the room mate. Why do they even have to know?
As far as I know you can do what you'd like with your bf, and if you want him to spend the night you can have him do that as often as you want.

If anyone asks just say he is your bf, and you hang out a lot. What's the big deal? Can they say he hangs out with you too much?

[Zippyman]

Originally Posted by PoppySead

Why doesn't he just remain your bf and "sleep over" every night? He could pitch in for his share, and privately give some money to you for rent and you could except less from the room mate. Why do they even have to know?
As far as I know you can do what you'd like with your bf, and if you want him to spend the night you can have him do that as often as you want.

If anyone asks just say he is your bf, and you hang out a lot. What's the big deal? Can they say he hangs out with you too much?

It's a super-bad idea. Every lease I've seen so far has a list of "authorized" occupants as part of it, along with a definition of a "guest" - anyone staying over "xx" days is presumed to be an unauthorized resident & it makes both tenants in breach of the lease. Landlords like myself are very touchy about unauthorized residents, as that is a common ploy to bring in a deadbeat/ felon / sex offender that would not otherwise qualify to be on the lease. Once the landlord has to start counting days of occupancy to prove the lease is being breached, there won't be any amicable compromises, both current tenants get a notice to quit (move), and if they pursue the issue, an eviction action, along with all the penalties associated with breaking a lease.

Going before a judge to argue that a "guest" isn't a resident means that if you lose, you get an eviction on your credit report, and apartment choices are extremely limited in Phoenix for those with evictions on the record. The landlords who accept evictees also commonly accept some combination of bad credit, big dogs, felons, etc.. not the kinds of neighbors anyone would willingly choose.

[PoppySead]

Originally Posted by Zippyman

It's a super-bad idea. Every lease I've seen so far has a list of "authorized" occupants as part of it, along with a definition of a "guest" - anyone staying over "xx" days is presumed to be an unauthorized resident & it makes both tenants in breach of the lease. Landlords like myself are very touchy about unauthorized residents, as that is a common ploy to bring in a deadbeat/ felon / sex offender that would not otherwise qualify to be on the lease. Once the landlord has to start counting days of occupancy to prove the lease is being breached, there won't be any amicable compromises, both current tenants get a notice to quit (move), and if they pursue the issue, an eviction action, along with all the penalties associated with breaking a lease.

Going before a judge to argue that a "guest" isn't a resident means that if you lose, you get an eviction on your credit report, and apartment choices are extremely limited in Phoenix for those with evictions on the record. The landlords who accept evictees also commonly accept some combination of bad credit, big dogs, felons, etc.. not the kinds of neighbors anyone would willingly choose.

Wow, didn't realize it was so complicated. When I rented out a property I had pretty good luck, and wouldn't have really cared if someone had a serious bf sleeping over as long as I received no complaints and received the money I asked for. I made sure to leave my phone number with the neighbors so they could contact me if something annoyed them. Otherwise I stayed out of the tenants business, it was their home in my mind.
I only rented one property though, and like I said, didn't have my guard up because of any past experience because things went pretty smoothly, eventually I sold the property. Your advice is probably better than mine.

[Zippyman]

Originally Posted by PoppySead

Wow, didn't realize it was so complicated. When I rented out a property I had pretty good luck, and wouldn't have really cared if someone had a serious bf sleeping over as long as I received no complaints and received the money I asked for. I made sure to leave my phone number with the neighbors so they could contact me if something annoyed them. Otherwise I stayed out of the tenants business, it was their home in my mind.
I only rented one property though, and like I said, didn't have my guard up because of any past experience because things went pretty smoothly, eventually I sold the property. Your advice is probably better than mine.

It's not about getting into the tenant's business - you're effectively handing over care & control of a $100k+ asset with a $1k (or so) security deposit.. A bad tenant could easily do $10-20k in damage to the property in a weekend if they chose to, so at a minimum, you need to know *who* is living in the property..

Like you, I personally wouldn't care or object if a tenant wanted to add a boyfriend to an existing lease - it's an extra hour's paperwork at most, and the landlord would then have 3 people to sue if the lease wasn't fulfilled.. but I would run credit, criminal & references on on anyone added to one of my leases....