Thank you both. The current tenant kept telling me she couldn't find a roommate until the 13th hour, and I'm dubious about the commitment of the new roommate. Quite frankly when I think with my head about the economics and practicality of the situation, I would rather rent it to the one new tenant who is ready and able to sign a full-year lease now and pay the deposit up front, etc., and stop having to worry about the roommate issue and the untenable plans of the two current tenants.

But sometimes I think with my heart over my head too much because the tenants in there now are our friends of sort and have been good tenants and the one really wants to stay. I feel she may be acting out of desperation more than reality, however, while the potential tenant has everything all lined up. I do not want to lose the potential tenant AND risk the current tenant not actually being able to follow through with the new roommate, and being stuck with NO tenant come January. In any case I feel that no matter what I do I would be either breaking the deal I just made with the new/potential tenant, or forcing out the old tenant. How stressful! I don't know how you guys do this all the time and I thank you for the help! It seems that unless the current tenant's potential roommate is willing to sign the lease now, give me a deposit now, and passes screening now, then I must send something in writing to the current tenant letting her know that I expect her to be out when her lease expires in January, and THEN I should have the new tenant sign the lease right away.