Major Mistake in College Lease (OH) – can we do anything?

Location: Ohio

My son is a college student and decided to live off campus this coming year in an apartment with 2 friends to save money on room and board. The complex they chose caters to college students in that they have units they refer to as “3×3” which are 3 individual bedrooms and bathrooms with a common living room/kitchen. You are supposed to get 1BR & 1BA when you rent in such a unit. But each student has to apply and pay separately.

So my son called, spoke to someone who told him to apply online. He did and received the lease and signed it. It stated (incorrectly) that he was renting a 3BR unit and the total price of $1700/mo, but he signed assuming this was normal and would be split evenly among the 3 friends. He hadn’t done this before. The friends also applied and got correct leases for 1BR $570/mo. These were all signed in February for the 2025-26 school year.

Two weeks ago, my son gets a call from the new property manager (new owner took over in May). They informed him about the error, then proceeded to tell him that they will not honor the one bedroom that he intended. He will be charged for an entire 3BR unit for $1700/mo as stated in the lease. His friends can’t stay with him, because they have their own leases now. The apartment complex routinely places roommates with other people when a unit is not filled, but they refuse to do so for him! My son can’t afford to pay triple what he should be paying, and rather than saving money he will be paying $4k more than even the college’s expensive room and board. He has called them 8 or 9 times but has not gotten anywhere with them. They just tell him to sublet. Well most people already have housing plans set, if he can’t find people to sublet he’s screwed. He doesn’t have any documentation that he intended to rent only 1BR, as he spoke by phone that first time. He also does not move in until late August.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Any advice is appreciated 🙂