<prompt> Human: Basically my roommate just told me that she plans on leaving our apartment within three days. She owes a fair amount of money to the state and claims she cant pay rent for THE LAST MONTH of the lease in order to pay these fines, which really pisses me off... So close yet so far. Is my only option small claims? How can I get her portion of rent which is only 350?  <response>: You can go to small claims, but you are not likely to get any money -- the best case may be a wage garnishment, since she seems to be broke. However, a judgment against her will be a warning to her future landlords and roommates.You are both on the lease, so missing this payment will hurt your credit as well as hers. Dont take a hit to your credit for such a small amount of money. Pay it on time, and worry about getting it back later.Depending on the laws in your area, you may be able to use her part of the deposit to cover what she owes. You should talk to the landlord and make sure thats legal before you do it. You could easily get in trouble if you dont know the landlord-tenant laws in your jurisdiction. 