My roommate wants a key to my bedroom door

[Ty0604]

I'm in Oregon.

I installed a locking doorknob on my bedroom door when I moved into my current place about 3 months ago. It's something I've always done and none of my other roommates have ever had an issue with it. I share the room with two other roommates and my room is my private area and my space. The "head" roommate (the one who's been here the longest) noticed the doorknob on my room today and requested a key for my door. She said she needed one in case of an emergency such as a fire etc. This was all over text and I never answered her. I won't be giving her a key. It sort of defeats the purpose of having the lock to begin with and it would make me feel uncomfortable. If there really was an emergency, such as a fire, who cares about the door? Kick it in.

I should make a few things clear: The "head" roommate does NOT own this place. However, I do pay rent to her because our leasing company only accepts one check per place so my other roommate and I pay her the rent and then she cuts our leasing company a check for the rent. Since she's been here the longest, her name is also one the electricity, cable etc so we also pay her our share of all of the bills.

I told the leasing company that I had changed the doorknob on my bedroom door when I moved in and they never requested a copy of the key. Only that I returned the original doorknob to the door when I vacated the room, which I agreed to do. Nothing was damaged in the process either. The leasing company is really cool here, only the "head" roommate is on the lease as they only require one person to be on the lease as long as they have good credit. Our names are noted as living here but nothing was ever signed with the leasing company.

Do I have any obligation to give her a key to my room?

 

[justalayman]

The leasing company is really cool here, only the "head" roommate is on the lease as they only require one person to be on the lease as long as they have good credit. Our names are noted as living here but nothing was ever signed with the leasing company.

are you saying you are listed as an occupant on the lease but are not an actual lessee?

you say the "head roommate" has lived there the longest. When you moved there who advertised the unit for rent? Who showed you the house? Who did you pay rent to?

 

[South954]

Just give her a hammer instead and tell her if there is a fire she has permission to break the lock open.

She obviously wants to be able to snoop in your room, there is no other reason for her having the key. Don't give her one period.

 

[Zigner]

Just give her a hammer instead and tell her if there is a fire she has permission to break the lock open.

She obviously wants to be able to snoop in your room, there is no other reason for her having the key. Don't give her one period.

Depending on the answers to the prior questions, your answer may be exactly wrong.

 

[Just Blue]

Depending on the answers to the prior questions, your answer may be exactly wrong.

Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ty0604]

are you saying you are listed as an occupant on the lease but are not an actual lessee?

you say the "head roommate" has lived there the longest. When you moved there who advertised the unit for rent? Who showed you the house? Who did you pay rent to?

Correct. The leasing company only wants one person per household on the lease and they only accept one check for rent. Since she's been here the longest, my roommate and I give our rent money to her and she then cuts a single check to the management company. The roommate advertised the bedroom but we had to be approved (background check etc) through the management before we moved in. Before we moved in, we were added as occupants to the lease. I paid my deposit to the management company directly because they had refunded the former roommate his lease less any damages/cleaning cost. My roommate showed me the place but did so at the direction of the management company. She doesn't own this place and she's no more in power than I am when it comes to rules. I signed two papers when I moved in; one agreeing to abide by the condominiums rules and one admitting that I'm aware that I could and would be evicted my the management company if I failed to abide by those rules. Everything else is done through the management company (i.e. maintenance, receipts for rent). I could pay all of the rent if I wanted to but she happens to work in the same complex as the management company so it's convenient for her. Hope that answers your questions.

 

[justalayman]

your situation makes no sense what so ever. Why would a lessee take on such liabilities? Being the only entity on the lease; any damages to the apartment, any delinquent rent, anything such as that all rests on their shoulders yet it sounds as they had no control over who is allowed to live there.

Before we moved in, we were added as occupants to the lease.

not unless the actual lessee allowed for it. You cannot alter a lease like that without all parties agreeing to the amendment.


There is something really screwy with your situation and I really don't know what to make of it. Maybe somebody else will see something I'm not.

 

[Ty0604]

your situation makes no sense what so ever. Why would a lessee take on such liabilities? Being the only entity on the lease; any damages to the apartment, any delinquent rent, anything such as that all rests on their shoulders yet it sounds as they had no control over who is allowed to live there.

We all paid a deposit and last month's rent (forgot to mention that) to the management company so we're all responsible. My roommate has control over who lives here, the people she decided on still had to pass the managements background checks since this is a large condominium complex that doesn't allow occupants with felonies etc. The "head" roommate is the only one locked into a lease (one year) while my other roommate and myself aren't. We're month to month and are free to move whenever we would like and I believe that is why we were listed as simply occupants instead of signing a term lease. Both of our jobs could cause us to up and move in a months time so it's hard for us to sign a lease. This was the agreement with the management company. We have to give 30 day notice before we vacate and that's all.

As for the rest of the 100 or so other condos? I'm not sure why they only have one person be on the lease and list the other as occupants. Most of the people who live here are families (we're right next to an elementary school) and maybe others made their own agreements dealing with moving out early, damages, rent etc. I'm not sure but it's a moot point when it comes to my situation.

 

[imjustsayin]

I'm in Oregon.

I installed a locking doorknob on my bedroom door when I moved into my current place about 3 months ago. It's something I've always done and none of my other roommates have ever had an issue with it. I share the room with two other roommates and my room is my private area and my space. The "head" roommate (the one who's been here the longest) noticed the doorknob on my room today and requested a key for my door. She said she needed one in case of an emergency such as a fire etc. This was all over text and I never answered her. I won't be giving her a key. It sort of defeats the purpose of having the lock to begin with and it would make me feel uncomfortable. If there really was an emergency, such as a fire, who cares about the door? Kick it in.

I should make a few things clear: The "head" roommate does NOT own this place. However, I do pay rent to her because our leasing company only accepts one check per place so my other roommate and I pay her the rent and then she cuts our leasing company a check for the rent. Since she's been here the longest, her name is also one the electricity, cable etc so we also pay her our share of all of the bills.

I told the leasing company that I had changed the doorknob on my bedroom door when I moved in and they never requested a copy of the key. Only that I returned the original doorknob to the door when I vacated the room, which I agreed to do. Nothing was damaged in the process either. The leasing company is really cool here, only the "head" roommate is on the lease as they only require one person to be on the lease as long as they have good credit. Our names are noted as living here but nothing was ever signed with the leasing company.

Do I have any obligation to give her a key to my room?

Ty,

You have no obligation to give anyone a second key to your bedroom. It is common for one person to be on the lease and for you and another friend to occupy the apartment and share expenses. You don't pay her rent. You give her your share of rent as you agreed to do when you became her roommate. She, as the person who is leasing the apartment, will be responsible for any damages. Stop considering her "head of household". Sharing rent is doing her a favor as she needs your check to pay the rent.

 

[justalayman]

Ty,

You have no obligation to give anyone a second key to your bedroom. It is common for one person to be on the lease and for you and another friend to occupy the apartment and share expenses. You don't pay her rent. You give her your share of rent as you agreed to do when you became her roommate. She, as the person who is leasing the apartment, will be responsible for any damages. Stop considering her "head of household". Sharing rent is doing her a favor as she needs your check to pay the rent.

you may be very wrong. A lot is going to depend on what the lease says. Depending on what rights are granted the lessee on the lease. I would also like to know if the monthly rent obligation is share of the total rent or if it reflects the total monthly rent due from the apartment in total.

 

[imjustsayin]

you may be very wrong. A lot is going to depend on what the lease says. Depending on what rights are granted the lessee on the lease. I would also like to know if the monthly rent obligation is share of the total rent or if it reflects the total monthly rent due from the apartment in total.

She is not on the lease so she is not a Co-tenant. She is a Sublease. She pays an agreed amount for renting space to the person who is leasing the apartment.

 

[justalayman]

She is not on the lease so she is not a Co-tenant. She is a Sublease. She pays an agreed amount for renting space to the person who is leasing the apartment.

the part about being on the lease making her a sublessee; not true. All it means is the one party has a lease and the OP doesn't.


but do you always waffle this much?

You don't pay her rent. You give her your share of rent as you agreed to do when you became her roommate.

and if the OP is a subtenant, they may very well be required to provide a key to the primary tenant because that person is the OP's landlord and a landlord does have a right of entry for certain purposes where a key would be necessary.

 

[imjustsayin]

the part about being on the lease making her a sublessee; not true. All it means is the one party has a lease and the OP doesn't.


but do you always waffle this much?




and if the OP is a subtenant, they may very well be required to provide a key to the primary tenant because that person is the OP's landlord and a landlord does have a right of entry for certain purposes where a key would be necessary.

I think you are just trying to argue. You need to look up a couple words-

1. Tenant
2. Co tenant
3. Lease, as in roommate.

You are confusing the word subtenant with co-tenant and obviously you have no idea about this situation where a renter invites roommates to share expenses of an apartment.

 

[justalayman]

I think you are just trying to argue. You need to look up a couple words-

1. Tenant
2. Co tenant
3. Lease, as in roommate.

You are confusing the word subtenant with co-tenant and obviously you have no idea about this situation where a renter invites roommates to share expenses of an apartment.

its as simple as this:

in one post you said they were roomates. In the next one you said they are a sublessee.

and look up lease, as in roommate? I have no idea what you are suggesting. A lease is simply a rental agreement most often accepted to be a written rental agreement between a landlord and a tenant. Generally in leaseholds of less than 1 year, there is no requirement it be in writing although any leasehold agreement can be in writing. It involving a roommate is meaningless to the issue.

no, I am not confusing the word sub-tenant with co-tenant and I apparently have a lot more knowledge on this issue than you. That fact is, the OP has not given enough info to make an actual determination plus much of what they have given is contradictory to other statements they made.

but back to your screw ups:

She is not on the lease so she is not a Co-tenant. She is a Sublease. She pays an agreed amount for renting space to the person who is leasing the apartment.

that is you clearly stating OP is a sublessee (subtenant)

.

It is common for one person to be on the lease and for you and another friend to occupy the apartment and share expenses. You don't pay her rent. You give her your share of rent as you agreed to do when you became her roommate. She, as the person who is leasing the apartment, will be responsible for any damages. Stop considering her "head of household".

that is you trying to define a co-tenant

a roommate has no legal definition for the purposes of this situation.

In a sublease, the sub is a true tenant to the primary tenant. If they are co-tenants, then they are equal in the heirarchy with there being only the one primary landlord.

 

[imjustsayin]

its as simple as this:

in one post you said they were roomates. In the next one you said they are a sublessee.

and look up lease, as in roommate? I have no idea what you are suggesting. A lease is simply a rental agreement most often accepted to be a written rental agreement between a landlord and a tenant. Generally in leaseholds of less than 1 year, there is no requirement it be in writing although any leasehold agreement can be in writing. It involving a roommate is meaningless to the issue.

no, I am not confusing the word sub-tenant with co-tenant and I apparently have a lot more knowledge on this issue than you. That fact is, the OP has not given enough info to make an actual determination plus much of what they have given is contradictory to other statements they made.

but back to your screw ups:


that is you clearly stating OP is a sublessee (subtenant)

.
that is you trying to define a co-tenant

a roommate has no legal definition for the purposes of this situation.

In a sublease, the sub is a true tenant to the primary tenant. If they are co-tenants, then they are equal in the heirarchy with there being only the one primary landlord.

You are embarrassing yourself.