Can My Roommate Kick Me Out?
Living with acan be rewarding, but it can also provide a unique set of challenges - especially if you and your roommate have had issues getting along. Sometimes, things can escalate, and before you know it, you might have been forcibly removed from the home or apartment space that you and your roommate share.
You might be wondering if your roommate has any legal right to kick you out. You might also be frantic to get back in your home as soon as possible before your relationship with your roommate or your landlord deteriorates any further. This guide will help you understand why your roommate might have tried to kick you out and what you can do about it.
Reasons You Might Have Been Evicted by Your Roommate
and decide to share a living space, there are usually certain ground rules established between the roommates. You might also both have signed a lease where you agreed to certain conditions that were laid out in advance by the landlord. While landlords have legal rights to evict tenants if those legally-binding conditions aren't met, things get trickier when it comes to roommates evicting roommates. Here are some reasons why your roommate might have tried to kick you out:
- If you failed to pay your portion of the rent.
- If you violate any of the specific terms of the lease that you and your roommate signed.
- If your roommate feels that you have violated health and safety concerns.
Check Your State’s Eviction Laws
While these are all legitimate concerns, in most cases, your roommate has no real legal right to kick you out. While laws regarding renting are different in each state, if you and your roommate both signed a lease, then you are both considered to be co-renters. Therefore, your roommate cannot legally kick you out of the home that you both share. Here are a few things you can do if you find yourself in a situation where you believe your roommate might try to kick you out:
- Research your state's eviction laws and the laws that protect tenants.
- Look into why your roommate might want you out and try to understand if there are any legitimate concerns on their end.
What Can You Do to Resolve the Situation on Your Own?
If the unfortunate situation comes to pass and your roommate tries to kick you out, there are some steps that you can take to get back into your home:
| Talk to your roommate | The first thing you can try is to talk to your roommate and try to work things out with them directly. If the situation hasn't escalated to a point where you believe a conversation would be impossible or unsafe, consider reaching out to your roommate and asking for a sit-down, where any issues can be discussed and dealt with. |
| Discuss the situation with your landlord | Sometimes, it isn't always possible to have a cordial conversation with a roommate - especially if that roommate is actively trying to kick you out of the home that you both share. If you get to this point, you can involve your landlord. The landlord can act as a mediator, possibly resolving the conflict between you and your roommate, or at the very least, informing your roommate that they have no legal right to kick you out. |
| Escalate the case with a demand letter | If the other options don't work, and you find yourself in a precarious position with an angry roommate, you can escalate your case by sending a demand letter. A demand letter will inform your roommate that you have a legal right to be in the home that you are co-leasing and that they have to let you back in if they want to avoid legal repercussions, such as a case in small claims court. |
Dealing with a hostile roommate can be incredibly stressful, to say the least. If you need support in dealing with an angry roommate who wants to kick you out, turn to , the
- Fast
- Easy
- Successful
way to take back your rights as a renter. DoNotPay can help you craft a demand letter that lets your roommate know, in no uncertain terms, what your legal rights are.
Use DoNotPay to Send a Demand Letter
How to send a demand letter to your roommate using DoNotPay:
If you want to send a demand letter to your roommate but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in 4 easy steps:
- Search for and open the Landlord Protection product on DoNotPay.
- Select which issue applies to you.
- Answer a simple set of questions so our chatbot can collect the necessary information to create your demand letter.
- Choose whether you want DoNotPay to send the demand letter to your landlord or roommate on your behalf. If you already tried sending a demand letter and it didn't work, we can help you start the small claims court process.
And that's it! You should hear back from your landlord directly once your demands are sent.
DoNotPay Is the Tenant Support Solution
is the fast, easy, successful solution to understanding your rights as a renter and taking the appropriate action. With DoNotPay, you don't have to worry about dealing with confusing legal issues on your own. Get on equal footing with demanding roommates with the help of DoNotPay!