Is this legal? I'm a college sophomore who just moved into my new residence

[FinneyA]

I'm a college sophomore who just moved into my new residence in New Brunswick, NJ the first of January. The other two tenants have been there for years, and are moving out this May/June. Now here's where the issues begin.

1. Right off the bat, after signing the lease my landlord tells me that I am responsible for finding the two new tenants or I would have to take over their rent until I do. Isn't this her job, or can she legally do it?

2. She also said that the money for the water bill would come from the security deposit, and she never gave me any bank statement about the money. Is either of that legal?

3. She came in one day, unannounced, to do some cleaning with 2 men because she was showing the rooms. After casual conversation, she basically told me that she had been in my room without me there nor my notification (she made a note about my pet snake, something I never mentioned to her). I had class, so left without any confrontation, and when I returned I saw all my lights on; an indication that she had once again been in my room.

Late that night, as I am moving things from my old dorm room in, she comes into the apartment and before I know it three strangers are walking up into my room and looking it over. To have a landlord frequent one's room unannounced, even though she was showing it, seems invasive. Does she have the right to do this?

4. Continuing from above, more and more people eventually start making their way into my room, and have no idea what the hell is going on. I finally get her alone, and she tells me that she is showing my room because, since the other two people are leaving, I must be too. News to me considered I planned on staying there at least until graduation. I asked her if the others told them I was leaving, she said no, and I became even madder. She never spoke to me about anything nor bothered to call. She also told me that one group was here for a second time and that she already told them they can have the room. Because of this she told me that "I don't know what to do" because apparently it's conflicting though I don't understand why. I've paid my rent on time, I've never had any issues. Is it possible that she can legally get rid of my lease (I was subletting) and give it to these other people?

She told me that she had to call another landlord friend to see what to do, and that she'll let me know something that night. It has been about 2 days and I am understandably upset. I just moved into my place, and because she assumed instead of simply looking at the lease and calling me (because she said that she didn't have my number, to which I responded with a hard copy of it and repeating it on the voicemails I've left) she started looking for new tenets. Hell, she still owes me a copy of the lease!

Please help.

[able1]

Did you rent a room in an apt or what?

Yes. One room in a 3 bedroom apartment

You should set some rules and guidelines in your lease. But she should not enter your locked or closed space, and you are not liable for the other rooms or roommates of course.

You are in NJ. Unless there is a city ordinance on requiring notice prior to entry, there is no state statute on LL notice prior to entry in your state. Look through city ordinances online. If you find none, she has violated no law by entering your room. You only rent one room. She can rent the other rooms in the unit without your knowledge or consent. She can clean or enter any common rooms without any prior notice. This is not the same as you renting the entire unit. If you don't want to find your own roommates, she is going to rent those other rooms. I suggest you find your own roommates pronto and get their applications to the LL. Otherwise, you will find yourself surrounded by strangers in your unit. And probably with no renewal on your lease.

Your other problem is that you are subletting. Your lease isn't with the LL. It is with the other tenants. If their lease ends in May, they had no right to give you a lease past that time. Either vacate when their lease ends, or take over the entire rent and find your own roommates. She isn't bound by a lease you signed with someone else past the date of their lease. All you could do is to sue the roommates who subletted to you past their lease end.