Removing a tenant in the lease agreement

[Nicole He]

Hi everyone,
We have a lease situation in Pennsylvania and would appreciate your insights.

A father and daughter signed a lease as co-tenants. On move-in day, we handed the keys to the father, but for reasons unknown to us, the daughter was not given a key and never moved in. She’s now contacting us, saying she doesn’t live there, never had access to the unit, and would like to be removed from the lease agreement.

Key facts:

• Both signed the lease as co-tenants.

• The daughter was not given a key by her father.

• She has not lived in the property at all.

• She is now requesting to be released from the lease.

We’re wondering:

1. Can we remove her from the lease without the father’s (co-tenant’s) consent?

2. Would doing this have any legal or financial repercussions on our end as the landlord?

3. Would it affect the enforceability of the lease or our ability to hold the remaining tenant accountable?

We want to handle this properly and fairly, but also protect our legal standing and lease integrity. Any guidance from landlords who’ve dealt with similar situations—or attorneys here—would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!