'Our apartment wasn't legal, the authorities wanted to demolish some walls': Roommate moves out early, refuses to use her $5000 deposit to cover her remaining rent, after failing to find a sublet once she discovers that her room is going to be bashed down

Author image for Emma Saven
Emma Saven
Jul 28, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

We've all heard of Signed, Sealed, Delivered, but what about Illegally Signed, Sealed, Demolished?

Now that's a plot twist worth talking about.

When renting an apartment, most of us try to follow the basic rules. We take care of the space, pay rent on time, and act respectfully, especially if we hope to get our security deposit back at the end of the lease. Unless something unexpected happens, like running off to a remote island to avoid paying rent, or accidentally leaving candles burning overnight.

But what if a tenant decides to leave early and makes an effort to find a subletter, only to discover that the apartment has been illegally divided and the authorities are planning to demolish their room?

Suddenly, there is no room to sublet.

In a situation like that, who should be held responsible? If the tenant is unable to find a subletter because the space no longer exists, is it reasonable to expect them to lose their deposit to cover the remaining rent, even when the issue is completely out of their control?

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  • So who is in the right, and who is in the wrong? The tenant? The landlord? The system?

    We are definitely caught in a difficult spot when trying to take sides in this unusual case of rental drama. What happens when no one is in the ‘obvious’ right or the ‘obvious’ wrong? Maybe we need to come up with a new way to find the middle ground, flipping a coin could work…?

  • 01
    "You didn't get back the $5000 deposit you paid in February, because there wasn't a new roommate to give it back to you"
    via anton-estrada

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    AITA for wanting my deposit back ?

    For context, I was living in a shared apartment with two other people. When I arrived, I paid a one-month deposit, and the
    via camomix_
  • 03
    roommate who welcomed me told me I would receive it as soon as the next roommate occupied my room. When I arrived, I
    via camomix_
  • 04
    explained to her that I was there for five months, then I had to leave the country. She told me it was okay, but that when I left, she
    via camomix_
  • 05
    would be traveling, so I would have to find a new roommate. I accepted. Two months after I moved in, this roommate talked
    via camomix_
  • 06
    with the landlord, who explained to her that our apartment wasn't legal and that the authorities wanted to demolish some walls,
    via camomix_
  • 07
    including those in my bedroom. So I was at risk of losing my room. Months passed, and I was planning to move out. So I needed to find a roommate to
    via camomix_
  • 08
    take it over. But no one was interested in my room because, as I explained, the authorities were supposed to tear down the
    via camomix_
  • 09
    walls soon. Which, in my opinion, is completely understandable; the situation is very precarious. I spoke to my roommate about it. She said it was okay. A day ago,
    via camomix_
  • 10
    she sent me this message: "And there's one last thing I wanted to talk to you about! You didn't get back the 5000 deposit you paid in
    via camomix_
  • 11
    February, because there wasn't a new roommate to give it back to you... I finally managed to find someone (despite the problems of potential work to be done...)
    via camomix_
  • 12
    of potential work to be done...) but it's only going to arrive in August, so the month of July, for the moment it's Rema and I who paid together... so I was
    via camomix_
  • 13
    go e the keys to the mt and security deposit a to report any property dama operty owner shall fix or replace any _] day(s) of receiving a damage report as roof leafs, heating/air conditioning issues, or pi hours, provided a contractor can be Rent and Security Deposit: e property owner $[ sidered late after the every day the ren he amoun 1 per month day of the p on of e beyon
    via gettyimages
  • 14
    wondering if you would agree to your deposit being used to cover the month of July where we didn't have a new roommate when you left??"
    via camomix_
  • 15
    Am I the a_h_le for disagreeing with this and wanting my deposit back?
    via camomix_
  • 16
    GenxBaby2 YTA You agreed to get a replacement roommate and didn't do it. If you want to be pedantic, pay your rent for July, the month there is no tenant, and then get your deposit back. But it sounds like it will be a wash.
    via GenxBaby2
  • 17
    camomix_ OP First, I agreed to find a new roommate before I knew my room would be destroyed. Second, getting my deposit back wasn't tied to finding a new roommate; for example, if my room had been destroyed while I was still there (because that's what was supposed to happen), she would have been supposed to refund it. Finally, she never told me I would lose my deposit if I didn't find someone.
    via camomix_
  • 18
    Individual_Ad_9213 YTA. I believe that your former roommate wants to use your deposit to pay for the month's rent when no one was there. Depending on the terms of the lease or of your agreement with your former roommate, you might be legally
    via Individual_Ad_9213
  • 19
    camomix_ OP It wasn't written in the lease that I had to find a roommate, it's just my roommate who asked me to do that. By the way in the lease there was no terms stating that I was accountable for the vaquant room after I left.
    via camomix_
  • 20
    CoverCharacter8179 There's a written lease? I can't understand why you haven't mentioned that already. I assumed by the lack of mention of a lease that this was an informal, verbal agreement.
    via CoverCharacter8179
  • 21
    ScaryButterscotch474 NTA The landlord should be covering the shortfall. They should not be charging 3 bedroom prices for what will be a 1 bedroom unit.
    via ScaryButterscotch474
  • 22
    k23_k23 Tell them: NO. And if you don'T have your deposit within 14 days, you will report them and the landlord for rrenting out something illegal. NTA
    via k23_k23

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disagreement money back keys rent-out sharing income drama living together construction rent sublet paying rent deposit move out roommates entitled people
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