<prompt> Human: Hey guys,Like the title says, after an argument my roommate packed up disappeared in the middle of the night with the intention of moving out. I sent him a text explaining to him the nature of lease agreements and that he should probably come back since hes still responsible for 12 the rent, but I havent gotten anything back from him yet.Im worried because I cant pay this rent by myself, and Ive been rebuilding my credit for a few years now while his sits around somewhere in the high 400s, so I have a lot more to lose in this situation than him.Im also new to this region and I dont know anyone who could move in and take his spot on the lease. Its a small town, so the chances of finding a suitable stranger arent great, either. And Im not willing to just let him skate out his lease with zero repercussions, either.What are my options at this point, assuming Im not able to find him and resolve this situation?Thank you guys for any advice you have, I really appreciate it.Edit:Thanks for all the very consistent advice guys. Ive spoken with my landlord, who is a very kind and understanding lady, but her options are limited when it comes to the help she can offer. She did give me some advice that is likely more specific to my state -- for example, I can seek to have a judge evict him myself, instead of needing the property to do it, which would allow me to sign a new lease for a smaller, cheaper apartment.However, its too soon to decide anything yet. I have 3 weeks to wait it out and see what happens before choosing a course of action. I reviewed my finances and I can make this work without a roommate regardless -- itll be tough, but Ive been living a very Spartan lifestyle for the past several years anyway.Again, I appreciate the time you guys took to answer some of my questions, and you may see me in rlegaladvice in a couple months, if it comes to it that I need to file a suit.  <response>: Ive been rebuilding my credit for a few years now while his sits around somewhere in the high 400sThis is an important life lesson. Dont depend on people with bad credit. Someone with a credit score that low has a proven history of not paying what they owe on multiple occasions, and there is no reason to expect they would treat you better than they have treated the other people or businesses they have screwed out of money.All you can do at this point is do your best to fill the room, and sue the guy in small claims. You are unlikely to get any money from him, but you could probably get a garnishment order. A judgment against him will hurt his chances of doing this again, assuming that his future potential landlords and roommates do a background check. If you cant find him, thats fine, because youll win the case automatically if he doesnt show up to the trial.Youll also need to get familiar with your local laws related to leases, because if this guys name is on the lease, he may still have a right to live there, and there may be a formal process to remove his name after nonpayment. Your apartment front office may be helpful with this, but they will need to put their interests before yours, so you might also want to get advice from a local tenants rights organization or free legal aid. 