In most cases, there aren't laws that prohibit this, but landlords are required to provide specific documentation to tenants, such as a lease addendum.
Technically, you can live in an apartment without being on the lease. But normally the lease specifies that only people listed in the lease may live in the apartment, so the person on the lease agreement may get in trouble because of an unauthorized tenant. Not all apartment buildings look at the credit reports.
Can Someone Be on the Lease and Not Live There? Sometimes, an individual named on the lease may not reside in the property. This can occur in situations like parents leasing an apartment for their college-going child or someone renting a property for work-related purposes but residing elsewhere.
In CA, yes the owner / PM will want her on the lease due to laws that would protect her if she established residency thru simply staying there.
No one can be added to an existing lease. To add a tenant all parties must agree and a new lease is written. This is a common practice, and most landlords are familiar with it.
Yes, someone can live in a house without being on the lease, but there are important considerations: Permission from the Leaseholder: The primary leaseholder (the person whose name is on the lease) must give permission for the person to live there. This is often referred to as a guest or unauthorized occupant.
You do not have to tell them. You will still be occupying the building and fully responsible for the lease and rent. They don't need to know who you invite to live with you unless your partner causes problems in the building.