Yes, this truly is the case: a lease is a contract between the tenant (your brother) and the landlord. The tenant's contractual obligations are not affected by changes in his circumstances, including severe injuries which make the apartment effectively unusable by the tenant; the fact that your brother cannot live in the apartment does not allow him to terminate his lease early or otherwise escape his obligation to pay rent.If your brother and/or his roommate do not pay the full rent, they can be evicted; an eviction will show on their credit and renting history; the landlord can take rent owed out of their security deposit; and if the deposit does not cover all rent owed, the landlord can sue them for the balance. Your brother and his roommate may need to look at subletting the apartment (someone else subletting your brother's space) as an option.