Landlord copied and pasted my signature onto a different lease that I didn't sign?

[smckie313]

Hi I recently signed a lease in a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment in Somerville. I was taking over the lease from the previous tenant who was leaving the apartment so myself and the other roommate who was already living there and planned on continuing to live there both signed this new lease together with our names both on it. That being said, about three days after we signed this new lease together the roommate pulled out and found a new roommate to take over her room. I never signed a new/different lease with this new roommate. However, the broker sent over an updated lease where it looks like he copied and pasted my electronic signature/name from the old lease with the initial roommate onto this new lease that the new roommate had signed. Is this legal? If not, am I able to break this lease without penalties?

 

[adjusterjack]

You're already bound by the first lease you signed so what difference do you think it would make if you got the second lease nullified?

 

[smckie313]

Does the first lease not get nullified since the initial person who I signed it with broke it? Or no?

 

[Zigner]

Perhaps the OP didn't want to live with a different roommate than the one s/he originally signed on with...

 

[Zigner]

Does the first lease not get nullified since the initial person who I signed it with broke it? Or no?

"Nullified?" No. It's quite likely that you can still be bound by the original lease. I would agree that the new lease is problematic, as you did not sign that lease.

 

[smckie313]

Do you think there's any way to break this lease without being liable for rent? Other than finding a replacement for my spot on the lease?

 

[quincy]

Does the first lease not get nullified since the initial person who I signed it with broke it? Or no?

Are you now responsible for the entire lease payment, or just the original amount (e.g., one-third of the rent) you first agreed to?

 

[smckie313]

Are you now responsible for the entire lease payment, or just the original amount you first agreed to?

I'm still responsible for just the original amount that I first agreed to

 

[quincy]

I'm still responsible for just the original amount that I first agreed to

Unless there are terms in the new lease that differ from the terms in the original lease, I don’t see how you can break the lease without penalty.

 

[smckie313]

Hmm okay that sucks lol

 

[quincy]

Hmm okay that sucks lol

I hope you find that your new roommate is a pleasant person with whom to live.

 

[smckie313]

If both me and the new roommate break the lease together then what happens? Are we still liable for rent?

 

[LdiJ]

If both me and the new roommate break the lease together then what happens? Are we still liable for rent?

Of course you are. You are likely both liable for the all of the rent.

Why is it that you want to break the lease?

 

[quincy]

If both me and the new roommate break the lease together then what happens? Are we still liable for rent?

Probably.

 

[smckie313]

Of course you are. You are likely both liable for the all of the rent.

Why is it that you want to break the lease?

The apartment honestly was left kind of gross by the previous two tenants who both moved out