Hi all. I live in a 4-bedroom 1.5 bathroom apartment. Someone who’s lived at this apartment a few years (lets call her Don) was looking for 3 roommates to renew the lease. I was moving from Canada and had trouble finding something, so as soon as this showed up, I signed the lease merely after checking the apartment out on videos. Another roommate (let’s call him Bill) moved from out of state as well and did the same. Third roommate (let’s call her Cara) lived within NYC, viewed the apartment & took the room without a window, and moved in August 2nd.

Come the time of signing the lease, Don, Bill and I signed the docusign lease, but Cara wouldn’t. I was also traveling to and from Canada so didn’t know what was going on. Bill moved in August 18th as well right around I did despite signing the lease starting August 1st.

We later found out Cara is now leaving and because she never signed the lease, there was nothing holding her back from leaving either.

In addition to this, Bill & I’s experience hasn’t been great and we have so far realized the house stinks of cat urine, the backyard is trashed, there’s mold growing on the bottom of some kitchen cabinets, our rooms were never painted before moving in, the apartment has been kept vvvv dirty.

Property manager told us that when Cara leaves at the end of August, we’ll sign a new lease with a new fourth roommate who will replace Cara. Bill is, however, thinking to leave as well. That leaves Don & I behind. I am thinking about potentially moving out end of this month as well.

Question: having signed the existing lease, are Bill and I bound to sign the new lease if it is presented to us? What is the legal standing of the existing lease that Bill, Don and I signed for the 4-bedroom apartment while still awaiting Cara’s signatures, does it automatically get null & void? Does it become null & void if we sign the new lease? Any ideas on how to work around this?