Roommate Didn’t Pay Rent For Months Despite Receiving My Payments — Now I’m Stuck With $15k In Debt And An Eviction. What Are My Options?

Hi, I’m writing this on behalf of my boyfriend (22M) who’s not on Reddit. I’m 23F and trying to help him figure out what, if anything, he can do legally. In spring 2023, my boyfriend moved into an apartment in the dmv area with two roommates — a couple we’ll call John and Sara (also in their early 20s). All three of them were on the lease. The total rent was about $1,800/month, so each person paid a third. The apartment complex only allowed rent payments through one authorized account, so Sara agreed to handle payments and my boyfriend would Zelle her his portion each month. This continued for almost a year. Then in summer 2024, he found out the unit was behind on rent by $15,000. Despite accepting his rent payments, Sara had not been paying the landlord. The apartment ended up evicting all of them, and now my boyfriend is back living with his parents. Here’s where things get worse: * All three roommates were on the lease, so the $15,000 in unpaid rent is on his credit report, along with the eviction. * The leasing office was not helpful — even after my boyfriend told them he’s been consistently Zelling payments to Sara. * At some point, they were summoned to court, but Sara intercepted and hid the mail. My boyfriend had no idea there was legal action until after the fact. Unfortunately, he has no way of proving this. * Since the eviction, he’s tried to contact Sara to take responsibility or help with the debt. He still has her phone number, but she’s not responding, and he doesn’t know where she lives now. ( he knows the apartment complex she lives in but not the exact unit) He wants to speak to a lawyer when he can afford to, but in the meantime: Questions: 1. Does he have any legal options for removing the debt from his credit or reducing his liability, given that he has evidence he paid his share? 2. Could this evidence help in small claims court or another legal process against Sara? 3. What steps can he take right now to start cleaning up his credit or legally protect himself? 4. If there's no way to get off the lease debt, could he potentially sue Sara for reimbursement? Any help or direction is appreciated. Thank you for your time. Location: DMV