questions & answers

Question: My girlfriend is renting a property from a family friend,who claims she is renting for her mother.The property is co -owned by another person who is unaware of the property being rented out.The mother passed away and the family friend is evicting my girlfriend for nonpayment of rent.Until the family friend provides proof of ownership.Should my girlfriend try and establish contact with the other owner?So,he is aware of his property being rented out without his knowing.

Answer: Your girlfriend may contact whomever she wishes – but a tenancy relationship exists only between the individual person who agrees to pay rent in exchange for the right to reside in a dwelling (the tenant) and the individual person who agrees to receive rent in exchange for permitting the other to reside in the dwelling (the landlord). (The landlord does not need to be the owner of the dwelling.) Even if the person who acted as the landlord did not have the authority to do so, the tenant will not have an automatic right to continue to reside in the dwelling without paying the agreed-upon rent (or, depending upon the specific situation, agreeing to a new rental arrangement).