Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Florida

My son is a college student who signed a lease for a 4br townhouse with two girls and another boy. The townhouse required parental permission for the co-ed living arrangements, even though all are over 18 years old. Each room is on a separate lease, and the lease states that if anyone backs out and a room is unoccupied, the townhouse has the right to place a person in that room. The other boy broke his lease, leaving my son and the two girls. The townhouse is now saying that they will not be living together and my son will be moved out, as they cannot place another male in there due to liability, unless they can find a roommate by this Sunday. Again, the lease does not state this. The former boy found an unknown person, literally off the street to take his place, but again, the townhouse needs parental approval and now the girls' parents won't agree to the girls living with some stranger. I don't want my son living with 3 complete strangers, and feel there is a liability issue there too. The townhouse won't let my son out of the lease. Do we have any options to get him off this lease?


Asked on 7/18/13, 6:22 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Barry Stein De Cardenas, Freixas, Stein & Zachary

The entire arrangement is a bit strange. The actual lease needs to be reviewed by an attorney to get all your options. Since the agreement, per your facts, allows them to place a person you and all others may be stuck. The "co ed" arrangement seems to be a condition precedent which has already been met and does not need individual approval of each new roommate. This is a guess based on your facts. Not sure where the "liability" issue comes from and how that is determined. Seek legal help.

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Answered on 7/19/13, 7:43 am


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