My boyfriend, myself, and a friend of ours are moving in to an apartment in Washington State. Our friends girlfriend is moving back here, but she won't be here when we sign the lease. The apartments we're checking out said we cannot add someone to the lease after it is signed until after the first 12 month period is over. She doesn't want to be on the lease. So if we don't add her, would she still be able to move in, or would it be illegal for her to stay any longer then the 2 weeks per 2 month rule they have? Would she still have to apply if she's not on the lease, or would that not even matter?

Hello P:

If the landlord needs her signature NOW, tell him that the other person is NOT here and you're going to need to send the lease to her for her signature... It's not like the lease can't be out of the sight of the signers... It CAN be.

If these very reasonable and usual arrangements aren't satisfactory to him, I wouldn't move in. Who knows what OTHER off the wall ideas your potential landlord might have? This is a giant RED FLAG.

excon

Excon:

She doesn't want to be on the lease though. We could send her through the mail the application, just not the lease. This particular management company doesn't allow that. It's common in my city for that. Would it be illegal for her to llive with us if she wasn't on the lease?

Well what's that two weeks per two months rule you mentioned? I'm guessing it's something like the line in my lease about having guests, anyone not on the lease, stay longer than 10 consecutive days without prior permission is against the rules. That would mean that no, you cannot just let someone else move in and not be on the lease.

Hello again, p:

I don't know why she doesn't want to be on the lease, but if the landlord REQUIRES all residents to be ON the lease, and she isn't, then you'll be in breach of your lease...

I'm in Seattle. There is NOTHING common about NOT sending legal materials through the mail in ANY city in this state. If HE'S telling you this, it's an even bigger RED FLAG than I said it was.

excon