Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California

Re: co-signing

The landlord is not obligated to remove your name from the lease until the expiration of the lease, and even then, if your former roommate won't move, the lease will remain in force. The landlord is better off looking to two (or more) people for repayment, than merely one. Thus, he/she will not be terribly motivated to release you from the obligations of the lease.

You might ask the landlord what it would take to release you from the lease. You might also approach your former roommate(s) about the same option. If neither want to cooperate, then you will be left will little options but to wait until the expiration of the lease and then either (1) live with it until they decide to move, or (2) sue the former roommate(s) to force him/her/them to execute a new lease. Good luck.

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