So as I mentioned, I live in Texas. Houston to be exact. My ex boyfriend (he was my boyfriend though at the time) and I, rented an individually owned unit that is part of a triplex. We rented this property through a rental property management company, not directly from the individual who owns the unit. Financially, we didn’t quite make the entire three times the amount of rent that is required to rent the unit because he didn’t have a job at the time (and still doesn’t). So my mother helped us out by co-signing on the lease. So the lease was signed by my ex boyfriend, my mother and I. Even though my mom never actually lived there with us, she is still on the lease and is considered a tenant until the lease is over. So in addition to my ex and I, she is also legally responsible to abide by all the rules in the rental contract we signed which includes paying the rent on time every month and completing the one year lease. So let’s say I’m really the only one who actually pays for the rent out of my own money. If I were to decide not to pay the rent, it wouldn’t just fall on me. It would be the responsibility of all three of us and we would all three be held responsible if any legal issues were to ensue. 

         So about 2 and a half months before the end of the lease, my ex boyfriend and I broke up. We were initially on friendly terms and so we decided to go ahead and sign a new one year lease once this current one is over. He moved to the other bedroom and so I was going to continue paying the rent myself while also allowing him to sign on the next lease. And of course, my mom,  would once again need to cosign. So a week or two before we hit our last 60 days of the current lease, I informed the property manager via email that we would all 3 be signing another 1 year lease once this one ran it’s course. Then, not even a few days after I notified the property manager of what we’d be doing, my ex and I got into a huge arguement that was so bad I immediately had to move out of the place. So I got all my stuff and left. My ex stayed there and since there were still two months left on the lease, I still made sure that those two months got paid since my ex doesn’t have any money or a job. As a matter of fact, I just made the last payment 3 days ago on February 1, 2024. The last day of our lease is February 29, 2024. 

          So anyway, I just now got word that my ex, who is actually still living on the property and does not have a job or any money to pay to sign another lease and stay there on his own, does not have anywhere to go. He also has a lot of stuff and doesn’t have the money to afford to pay for any type of truck rental or moving company, nor does he have any place to take it/store it. He thinks that he is going to be able to stay living on the property after the 29th when our lease is up and that the property manager is just going to have to file an eviction on him. He then plans on dragging the eviction process out for as long as he can and then finally at the last minute before law enforcement can actually go there and remove him and his stuff from the property (which could take months from what I understand) he then plans on leaving. He’s hoping to be able to get a job and save up as much money as he can from now until the day he actually leaves. 

      So first of all, is this even accurate as far as with how he thinks things are going to happen? Would the property manager have to serve a 3 day notice and then go through the whole eviction process which can normally be dragged out for quite some time if one knows what they’re doing? Since the lease will end on the 29th of February 2024, then technically he’s no longer even going to be a “tenant” after the 29th. Right? So does this mean law enforcement can treat the situation as if he’s trespassing or breaking & entering and then just arrest him immediately? Or is a situation like this handled as if he was still a tenant that was just not paying their rent? How does this even work? And what about the fact that I told my landlord we’d be signing another one year lease? I never told her that things have changed since then and that I actually don’t even live on the property anymore even though I paid her for the rent the last couple of months. So look, I know you (the reader) are going to suggest that I tell her the change of plans immediately. BUT, let’s just say for whatever reason, I don’t. Also I forgot to mention that my ex and I had a huge argument/fight while on a three way call with her. This was after I had sent her the email with our decision. The phone fight was so bad that I’d assume it would be obvious to her, or anyone for that matter, that things have changed and we are not going to be living together ever again. She would have sent us a new lease to sign by now if she wasn’t under the impression that we were not going to be staying here and signing a new lease. But still, I never actually told her of any changes in the plan and I don’t plan to either for reasons unrelated to this that I’d prefer not to get into. So how will this possibly affect things? Im thinking either she’s going to try to continue to make the three of us pay rent on a month to month basis even if I’m not living there anymore because of the 60 day decision I gave her and the fact that I never actually told her there’s been a change of plans. Or she just won’t care and will let my mother and I go on with our lives since I’m no longer living there. She’ll just have to deal with removing my ex from the property or taking him to court or however that will end up going. The other thing I’d like to know is if my mother and I can be held responsible in any way for my ex who has not vacated the property nor does he plan to any time soon. Will my mother and I be held responsible in any way for my ex not vacating the property? How does that work? I’m thinking it is like if one of us violated a rule in the lease, we’d all be held accountable. So in a situation like this, do the same rules apply? Or would this situation not have anything to do with my mother and I? 

     I hope all this made sense. Any/all help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

P.s. - I have decided to contact my landlord and actually tell her that we are no longer signing a new one year lease. She has informed me that my ex has inquired about a month to month lease and staying legally but has not made any commitment nor does she know if he’d qualify due to job history and/or lack of co-signer.