You're not wrong, but she may be reacting to your judgement.

mrsconn23

Dear Prudence,

My sister and I (both mid-twenties women) have always gotten along well, but she’s also always had a bad track record with men. Last year, her then-boyfriend broke up with her and moved to another state, leaving her hanging on the lease of their two-bedroom apartment. I agreed to move in to help with the rent. Recently, she’s been seeing a different guy, and he seems okay, but she suddenly announced that they’re moving to the suburbs together when his lease ends (September) and that she’ll help me find a second person for the apartment until our lease ends (February).

I think she’s making a stupid relationship choice, but also I don’t want to live with a last-minute stranger, and I only moved in to help her, since I could afford a smaller place on my own. We’ve argued about alternatives multiple times, and I’m really angry. Since I’m a subletter with no legal agreement (my sister and her ex are on the lease, not me), I could just walk away. I know my sister can’t afford this place alone, and I don’t want to blow up our relationship. Our parents are mad at me, my sister is mad at me, but I’m this close to just signing for a one-bedroom near work and letting everyone else deal with the problems they created for themselves. Is there some kind of middle ground?

—I’ve Only Been Here Six Months

CharmedPam

Why is everyone mad at LW?!!?

ei34

The parents being mad at me would annoy me, if I was LW. To the rest of it- I’d find a place now, since sister is moving in with a new bf in September.  Finding renters for the current apt is sister and her ex’s job, if they’re named on the lease.  I wouldn’t give it another thought.

banana468

I'm curious if the LW's delivery is what made people upset? 

Because it surely shouldn't be due to the situation changing that's due to her sister! 

mrsconn23

I bet when sis came home to tell LW the scheme to move in with the new guy, LW was likely not unemotional or measured in their response.  And I get it.  Sister sounds flighty.  I bet when LW bitched about sister and talked about how they can leave her high and dry since they're subletting, mom and dad were all, "Oh you're going to fuck her over like that?!  Your sister?!" 

LW is not wrong here.  They probably could have avoided this whole thing by telling sister when BF moved out they weren't a viable roomie option, but here we are.  

Sister should continue paying her half of the rent until the lease is up, regardless of her relationship status. BF should find a place he can afford on his own.  With her track record, she may move back in before the lease is up in February because it will be over, LOL.   

Or LW could suggest sister calls ex-BF and tell him he can move back in since she's moving out and then LW could go off and get their own place (I'd like to know where they live that there's just a plethora of affordable places to rent, LOL).  I would keep my foot firmly down on 'finding' a stranger to move in. 

Casadena

I agree with @mrsconn23 that it's likely how it went down. 

As someone who has agreed to live with random strangers when roommates wanted to sublet leases early, my advice is dont' do it, don't do it, don't do it. LW doesn't need to get into a back and forth with sister. Just tell her you're not doing it, so you will also be moving out. Done. 

MyNameIsNot

"I'm not living with a stranger. I'll move in September. Either your BF can temporarily move in here with you or you can sublet the whole apartment until February." 

charlotte989875

There is a middle ground but sister doesn’t seem interested in finding it. 

Tell sister you’re moving in September. BF should move in for 6 months then they can decide to move to the suburbs or stay, up to them. Your sister is responsible for the lease and she’s dumping that on you for something more fun. 

short+sassy

charlotte989875 said:

There is a middle ground but sister doesn’t seem interested in finding it. 

Tell sister you’re moving in September. BF should move in for 6 months then they can decide to move to the suburbs or stay, up to them. Your sister is responsible for the lease and she’s dumping that on you for something more fun. 

This is the obvious answer!  I'm wondering why it's not what they are doing.

Maybe because the sister and new b/f want to move to the suburbs?  So what.  They can suck it up until February and move to the suburbs then.

Or the sister can stay living there until February.  She doesn't have to move in with the b/f right now.  She just wants to.

Another option is to talk to the PM/landlord about breaking the lease.  There might even be a clause in the lease that addresses that.  It's going to have financial consequences, in probably the 1-2 month range, and the sister would be responsible for that.  But it's something else to look at.

The LW should stand their ground and tell the sister, "Here is the variety of options. And a stranger moving in here is not one of them."