PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.

I didn't pay rent for months then ran. What should I do?

Options
Vamoslostres
Vamoslostres Posts: 3 Newbie
in House buying, renting & selling
A few years back when I was in my final year of university I rented a small house from an agency and due to monetary issues I didn't pay my rent for about 4 months. They didn't cotton on untill I needed my boiler repaired and I got in contact with them. They found out and I explaind what had happened. I said I would pay a little more each month to contribute what I'd not paid. They agreed and three months later I'd missed another payment. I was in about £1500 debt with rent and they asked me to leave. I handed in my keys and they asked me to sign some document to say I would try to paythe debt in future. But what I did was put an incorrect future address in the box...
Since then, May 2014, I haven't heard anything from the agency or anybody trying to claim the money back. My online credit checks don't say anything about a rental debt.
Why haven't they found me? Did they even bother to look? I haven't rented since then but I have been on an electoral register at my parents. I've lived abroad in that time too.
I am now looking to rent.
I am concerned that if I try to rent something will come up.
Preferably I would like not to pay this debt and just forget about it. Naughty I know. But I really want to move on in my life. I've poor credit anyway and another debt would just cripple me when I'm just starting to make amends.
Will renting with an agency bring something up? Obviously I'd avoid the agency I was with, but do they communicate with each other? Put people on a black list?
Thank you
«134567

Comments

  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Options
    What do you expect to hear here?

    You owe money. You are scared of the possible consequences.

    The obvious solution is to pay what you owe.

    Quite apart from those consequences, what about the moral aspect? One day someone may owe you money and not pay you - how would you feel?
  • Cakeguts
    Cakeguts Posts: 7,627 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Options
    I don't think you quite understand what rent is. When you rent somewhere you are buying a space to live in. So a landlord sold you a space to live in and you were expected to pay for that just as you would anything else you buy. There is no difference morally between leaving a supermarket without paying for your shopping and running away from a rental property without paying for the space you had used for 4 months. Now you want to forget all about this thing that you bought and didn't pay for. For some reason people seem to think that not paying rent doesn't matter.

    If this comes up on an rental application no sensible landlord will rent to you because a) you don't seem to care about paying rent b) when found out you fraudulently give a wrong address.
  • hazyjo
    hazyjo Posts: 15,470 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Photogenic
    Options
    No consideration for the landlord who's quite possibly behind on a mortgage or now considerably out of pocket. On what planet could you possibly think that's acceptable?

    Also, I'd love to know where you can rent a house on your own (albeit a small one) for around £300 per month! And no address filled out when you first rented it? No credit check or guarantor? Very hard to believe, especially as through an agency.

    Jx
    2023 wins: *must start comping again!*
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,323 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Options
    While morally what you did was wrong, if its not on your credit file, there is no way a prospective LL will know about the money owed unless you give the previous property as a reference check, which I suspect is unlikely to happen.

    If your credit file is a mess, you might find it difficult to rent anyway. I'd concentrate on sorting that out before you rent again. It seems silly to take on the expense of renting before you have sorted yourself out.
  • Marvel1
    Marvel1 Posts: 7,172 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Options
    Vamoslostres wrote: »
    another debt would just cripple me when I'm just starting to make amends.

    :rotfl:good joke

    I'm all for helping people but sorry not you.
  • xylophone
    xylophone Posts: 44,412 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Options
    Preferably I would like not to pay this debt and just forget about it.
    Naughty
    I know

    A nursery word to describe deceit and worse.

    Pay your debt.
  • csgohan4
    csgohan4 Posts: 10,587 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper Photogenic
    Options
    OP it's too early for trolling
    "It is prudent when shopping for something important, not to limit yourself to Pound land/Estate Agents"

    G_M/ Bowlhead99 RIP
  • moneyistooshorttomention
    moneyistooshorttomention Posts: 17,940 Forumite
    edited 25 September 2016 at 7:30AM
    Options
    G_M wrote: »

    Quite apart from those consequences, what about the moral aspect? One day someone may owe you money and not pay you - how would you feel?

    Added to which - the further take on the moral aspect is you won't stand a hope in hell of marrying/living with or even dating any moral woman. The second she finds out you do things like that - she will chuck you as fast as last week's rubbish.

    The only way a moral woman would date you would be for you to lie to her and not admit to having done this and hope she never found out. I foresee you either building up a huge layer of lies to try and cover up for yourself or being very restricted as to who is prepared to have a personal relationship with you. Then there are people who wouldnt be friends with you because of this...

    Then there are the employers who wouldn't be prepared to give you a job...
  • csgohan4
    csgohan4 Posts: 10,587 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 25 September 2016 at 7:32AM
    Options
    moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »
    Added to which - the further take on the moral aspect is you won't stand a hope in hell of marrying/living with or even dating any moral woman. The second she finds out you do things like that - she will chuck you as fast as last week's rubbish.

    The only way a moral woman would date you would be for you to lie to her and not admit to having done this and hope she never found out. I foresee you either building up a huge layer of lies to try and cover up for yourself or being very restricted as to who is prepared to have a personal relationship with you. Then there are people who wouldnt be friends with you because of this...

    Your so nasty to the OP, that's not very MSE of you and below the belt.


    OP ignore the poster and never pay your dues and live free loader.
    "It is prudent when shopping for something important, not to limit yourself to Pound land/Estate Agents"

    G_M/ Bowlhead99 RIP
  • jimbog
    jimbog Posts: 2,113 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Options
    Vamoslostres wrote: »
    Will renting with an agency bring something up? Obviously I'd avoid the agency I was with, but do they communicate with each other? Put people on a black list?

    Yes they do
    Gather ye rosebuds while ye may
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173.1K Life & Family
  • 247.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards