Q: I'm hoping you can provide guidance on my daughter's current situation. One of her two roommates suddenly moved out while she was out of town, for no reason except that she was acting sassy. They all sat down and had a civil conversation once all three roommates were back in town. The roommate who moved out understands that she is responsible for paying rent until another roommate is found. She then placed an ad on Facebook Marketplace for a roommate to fill her opening without sharing the information with the other two women. They later discovered the ad, after it had been up for a week, and realized that she gave the exact address and said in the description that there are "two females in their 20s living there with a cat on the street-level unit." Once this was discovered, they pleaded with her to remove it and also reported it to Facebook. The ad has since been deleted but we have no idea if any damage has been done with respect to their safety.

The roommate who left is determined to find a replacement herself, even though she won't be living there anymore. She brought one potential tenant through, and told her she could move in within a few days, which is not possible due to the other women not having had the opportunity to meet this person or to see if she'd be a compatible match. Is the woman who left still allowed to be in the apartment without their knowledge since she's still paying rent? Should the landlord take charge of the situation? Also, if one renter is paying the rent, with the other two renters reimbursing her via Venmo, what happens if the renter who left doesn't pay her promptly? What would you suggest in this situation, and how would you address the safety issue? Can they ask the landlord to change the locks before the lease term is up?

A: Since all three women signed the lease and are responsible for the rent, and the landlord is allowing a replacement tenant to take over the exiting roommate's lease, this should make for an easier transition. If your daughter and the remaining roommate want to approve the new tenant, and the landlord needs to run a background check it may take longer to find a suitable tenant. The tenant who is leaving would still be allowed in the apartment since she is still on the lease and paying rent, and is therefore still considered a tenant.

The landlord does not need to take charge of this situation, since the lease language and the landlord are already allowing a new tenant to take over the lease. If the renter who is leaving decides not to pay her share of the rent, then either the landlord can go after her for the remaining rent, or the tenant who pays all the rent and gets reimbursed through Venmo would also have a claim against the absent tenant. The tenant paying the rent would need to file a claim in conciliation court for the rent money she is owed from the tenant who left.

It sounds like all the parties agree that your daughter and the other remaining tenant need to approve the new renter, so that shouldn't be an issue. It is unfortunate that an ad was placed on Facebook including their address and some personal information, but it sounds like it was taken down quickly and there was no harm done. Your daughter and the other tenant should not ask the landlord to change the locks until the exiting tenant is no longer responsible for the lease and her share of the rent; otherwise it is called a lockout by the landlord, and is considered illegal. The tenant who wants out of her lease has every right to come and go while she is still on the lease and paying her share of the rent. However, your daughter and the other tenants could ask the landlord to change the locks for security reasons once the new tenant has been approved.

Kelly Klein is a Minneapolis attorney. Participation in this column does not create an attorney/client relationship with Klein. Do not rely on advice in this column for legal opinions. Consult an attorney regarding your particular issues. E-mail renting questions to kklein@kleinpa.com, or write to Kelly Klein c/o Star Tribune, 650 3rd Av. S., Minneapolis, MN 55488. Information provided by readers is not confidential.