ANSWER
If more than one tenant signed the lease, CU Denver says each signer can be responsible for the full rent, not just their own share. If the rent still isn’t paid in full, the leaseholders can face eviction for nonpayment.
YOUR NEXT DECISION
Use the answer to prepare your next conversation
- Read the signed lease and any roommate agreement together.
- Confirm whether the lease is joint or individual before assuming only one person owes.
- Contact CU Denver Commuter Services if you need the off-campus housing or roommate database.
- If payment is already missed, talk to the roommate immediately and document the plan.
- Use mediation if direct conversation does not solve the dispute.
HELP WITH YOUR NEXT STEP
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Discuss housing options with MarkWhat CU Denver says happens
CU Denver’s landlord-tenant guide says most leases create joint and several liability. That means if your roommate stops paying, the landlord can demand the entire rent from any one tenant, and each signer is responsible for the rent for the whole lease term whether they live there or not.
- If one roommate moves out and doesn’t pay, the other roommates must cover their own share plus the missing amount.
- If the rent is not paid in full, the leaseholders can all be subject to eviction for nonpayment.
- A roommate agreement can help clarify how roommates handle payments, but it is not binding on the landlord unless the landlord also signs it.
What CU Denver recommends you do next
CU Denver’s off-campus housing pages point students to its roommate database and renter-rights resources, and they note that roommates should talk early, set expectations, and use a written roommate contract. If the dispute is already building, the guide also says mediation can help when discussions fail.
- Check your signed lease first, because the lease controls the practical result.
- Use CU Denver’s off-campus housing and roommate database if you need to find or replace a roommate.
- If the money split is disputed, try mediation with everyone involved before it gets worse.
Sources
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