Apartment only allowing 2 people? (affordable apartment, leasing, school)

[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?

[North Beach Person]

You may have run into a livability code which sets minimum requirements for rentals. A typical one would be 250 sq. ft. of area for each resident, so you'd need an apartment of at least 750 sq. ft. for three people.

A bedroom typically has a minimum of 100 sq. ft. with an additional 50 sq. ft. required for another person.

[blktoptrvl]

Your "options" are:

a) Break the lease, pay the penalty, *********r roommate, get another apartment.
b) Go live in your BF's apt, continue to pay rent at current apt in order not to screw roommate.
c) Complete lease as agreed, hold off on living with boyfriend, move in together when lease if done.

[trookwin]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

You may have run into a livability code which sets minimum requirements for rentals. A typical one would be 250 sq. ft. of area for each resident, so you'd need an apartment of at least 750 sq. ft. for three people.

A bedroom typically has a minimum of 100 sq. ft. with an additional 50 sq. ft. required for another person.

I thought of this as well, and our apartment is about 800 sq. ft.

[Zippyman]

Your options are to break the lease or to fulfill it..

The "rule" you're running into is just a landlord who doesn't want to deal with drama.

"Fair housing" for families is generally recognized as 2 people per bedroom + 1 on the couch - but the landlord isn't obligated to let you add or remove people once the lease is signed.

[trookwin]

Ideally, I don't want to leave this apartment because it's by school campus and a very nice affordable apartment. So, if I went into the leasing office, would it be completely impossible to convince the LL to make an exception?

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by trookwin

Ideally, I don't want to leave this apartment because it's by school campus and a very nice affordable apartment. So, if I went into the leasing office, would it be completely impossible to convince the LL to make an exception?

Maybe not, but you'd likely have to sign a new lease with all three of you as co-signers and the rent will likely go up. Especially so if utilities like water/sewer are included in the rent.

What about parking?

[CSD610]

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?

Your options are to ask your roommate to move out or you and your boyfriend find another apartment to live in.
There is probably a city ordinance or code that only allows a specific number of people per square foot.

[trookwin]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Maybe not, but you'd likely have to sign a new lease with all three of you as co-signers and the rent will likely go up. Especially so if utilities like water/sewer are included in the rent.

What about parking?

I wouldn't be opposed to paying a little more rent. If we had to sign a new lease, would that be considered breaking our old one? And we are not assigned parking spaces.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by trookwin

I wouldn't be opposed to paying a little more rent. If we had to sign a new lease, would that be considered breaking our old one? And we are not assigned parking spaces.

I don't know, you'd have to ask. And get the answer in writing. They might just let you add another person with the accompanying rent change (if any) as an addendum to your original lease.

Most apartment complexes are designed with X number of on-site spaces per unit. Many times 1 per bedroom. That's where you'd run into an issue.