About Sylvia Bergthold Expertise I can answer questions dealing with roommate situations including compatability, leases, placing roommate wanted ads, what you have to offer to a roommate, sharing of utilities and other services, interviewing techniques and questions, some legal aspects of housesharing, clearance information, etc.
Experience I have had roommates in my home for over 32 years and am the author of:
"SORRY, THE BOA HAS GOTTA GO!" A Roommate Survival Guide
Publications The Los Angeles Times, The HB-FV Independent, The Arizona Tribune, Lansing Michigan Rental Guide, Roommate Locator Newsletter, The Plain Dealer,, Las Vegas Sun, Apartment Lifestyles Magazine, Instyle Magazine, The Whiz.com, Cosmopolitan, Under 25, The Portsmouth Herald
Question Hi, I live with 2 other roomates in MN. On June 12 two of us asked our 3rd roomate to leave because he was unpleasant to live with, used all of our stuff, always needed rides, expected us to do everything he asked for, and never took care of stuff around the house. He did pay rent and bills though. When we asked him to leave he then said he was sucidial and also that he wished he could kill anyone that got in his way (this made us really want him out). We had to deal with the police a lot during that week. When all this crazyness was over he agreed to be out by the end of the month. He also said that he had wanted to move out for a while at that point.
All three of us were on the lease for the apartment. We then went to the management to find out want we needed to do to get him out of the apartment. They told us that we all needed to sign a piece of paper that would remove him from the lease. We made an agreement with him that if he didn't want to pay rent for July he would have to sign himself off the lease. He agreed and signed the paper to remove himself from the lease. He then found an apartment to move into so we told him we would let him stay no longer than July 10th to give him time to move his stuff out. He was rejected from the apartment and now he isn't going anywhere. He doesn't stay at the apartment anymore but he has left all his stuff there and is using our apartement as a storage facility for however long he feels like apparently. He does stop by occasionally without letting anyone know, which is kind of scary. My roomate and I are absolutely fed up with his crap. We tried to be nice and keep this from getting legal but he has taken advantage of us. We have told the management that he is still there and they changed the locks on our apartment. But we still can't get rid of his stuff. It takes up our entire living room. Is there anything we can do to get him and all of his stuff to be out of our apartment, for good?
Answer Hi Kelly
Well, the good news is he is physically out of the apartment and CAN'T get in because the landlord changed the locks.
Now you need to get rid of his stuff which might be a little harder. The landlord again might be able to help you as he might have the proper form to use. It is titled: "Notice to Former Tenant of Right to Reclaim Abandoned Personal Property". You (or the landlord) need to fill it out and send it to him, assuming you KNOW where he now lives.
Maybe the landlord or you have an emergency number for your roommate such as his parents. He needs to get this form. There is a date on it in which he has to come to pick up the stuff. Otherwise you will sell it at an auction or give it to charity. If he wants it back, he will have to go to the new buyers (or the charity you donated it to) to get it.
The landlord should be familiar with this form. There are some on-line and probably in the library. Follow the directions and you should be okay. IF you have NO FORWARDING address for him (you might want to check with the post office or the police dept) you could probably tape it to your front door just in case he comes back to get his stuff. He can't get in but there on the door will be an envelope addressed to him.
Another suggestion is to go to the Fair Housing Agency in your city and ask them what your options are. I know in most places, you just can't throw his stuff out without some type of notification. In fact, you might want to go to them first before you do anything.
