Can each roommate be responsible for the full apartment lease if the other stops paying?

Quick answer

Potentially, depending on the lease. Roommates should not assume their private 50/50 split limits what the landlord can collect under the signed contract. Read the liability language and ask the property how joint obligations work before signing. This is one reason Grant wants roommates to discuss financial reliability and early-move-out scenarios before they become roommates, not after a problem begins.

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