cosign a lease

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Just a minor issue I've been going through lately. My current girlfriend has lost her job. She currently has a job pending now, they just have to wait till her drug test results come in. She's not on any drugs so that shouldn't be an issue, but she's still unemployed nonetheless.

She has one month left on her current apartment lease, but she's had a sort of falling out with her room mate and wants to move out. She's already switched everything over in her room mate's name. They are on speaking terms so she is still living there until she get's an apartment.

She already found one at a great deal and wants to get it now before someone else takes it. The problem is she can't get it unless she can get a letter saying she has a job. Since this place hasn't gotten her results yet, they can't issue her a letter.

She has asked me to cosign her lease for her. This immediately has sent me red flags. Supposedly her test results will come in soon and she will have the job in less than a week, and as soon as she can prove employment, I can take my name off the lease. She has money for the first months rent so technically she has two months to find a job if for some reason this current thing falls through.

I still dont know about this. My inner instinct is telling this is a really bad Idea. In fact, reading everything I just wrote makes me feel like a dumbass for not even saying no immediately and even considering.

Am I just being paranoid? I think not.
 
Why can't she get her parents to cosign? You're definitely right to be weary of that situation.

edit:
Would it be possible for her to move in with you while she's working on getting that job?
 
I don't know much about personal finances but I would say no, partly because there is still that chance that something could go wrong.

What I am even more worried about is if she should lose her job. Would you be back as a cosign?
 
Just thought of something else - my drug test results came back in 3 days. I can't see why they would take more than a week to the results back to the company.

Also, how long have you two known each other and how long have you been dating.
 
We've been dating 5 months.

I know the kind of person she is so moving in with me would be no option. If that happened, I might as well add her to my lease, because she won't be leavin.

Her parents can't sign because they're in another state.

Supposedly her drug test sample was lost, which is the only reason they havent had the results in as of yet. She's going tomorrow to take another one. Barring they don't "lose" this one, they said it would be another 2-3 days.

Yea that's another thing. Even if things work out this time and I get my name off the lease, if she loses her job again that'll be another problem.
 
Sounds like one hell of a sticky situation to me. I didn't know that both parties had to be in the same state to cosign.

How long do you see yourself staying with her? The way I see it, if you say no to the cosign and can't propose another viable solution then you can go ahead and start looking for another girlfriend as she'll probably assume you're kicking her to the curb even if you're not attempting you. You know how they are sometimes.
 
Danger! Danger! Eject!

Get her parents to cosign (don't see why the state matters). You're better off having her stay with you and refusing to leave than cosigning her lease.
 
Danoff
Get her parents to cosign (don't see why the state matters). You're better off having her stay with you and refusing to leave than cosigning her lease.
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Thats what I'm thinking. There's no reason to put your financial future on the line here unless you're getting ready for some serious commitment. Even then I would still take a step back and get her parents to cosign first.

Yeah, you're gonna have to mail the lease agreement around for a while to get the necessary signatures on it, but thats about the only thing you're going to have to worry about with doing that. Two day there and back and no problems.
 
Danoff
Danger! Danger! Eject!

Get her parents to cosign (don't see why the state matters). You're better off having her stay with you and refusing to leave than cosigning her lease.
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What he said.

You should never cosign anything with anyone you aren't in a permanent relationship or I guess in the case of an apartment lease with the person you are sharing it with. Don't cosign anything that you don't have a personal stake in.

If she dumps you cos you won't cosign then she isn't worth having anyway.
 
As a manager of a letting agents I would say at this stage unless you really trust her don't sign. I've seen so many shared tenancies go pear shaped.

Remember, if you co sign you are responsible for the rent, utility bills and the property itself (depending on what the leases states).

I've had several cases where two friends have moved in together, one finds it too expensive and then decides to move out and can't be found. This usually leaves the honest person (normally) to foot the bill for the rent. It's a very tricky situation, and of course you want to help but think of yourself first.

As Danoff said, there shouldn't be a problem with her parents co signing even if they live in another state. As long as they have I.D and can return the forms. We normally get it done the same day by fax.
 

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