Rent paid but not allowed to stay

CIS

And don't forget to arrange to pay the council tax or do the paperwork for the exemption - this is often the reason they like to keep them empty but reserved for students....

Providing the house is occupied by a F/T student then a Class N exemption will apply even through holidays - the rent situation wont affect it.

guppy

Read the contract. Especially the start date of the tenancy.

Is the "half rent" really rent? Or is it described as some other type of payment?

Its a fundamental common law principle, that tenants pay rent, and landlords allow tenants possession of the property. The level of rent is irrelevant, it could just be a peppercorn.

All in all, a big rip off for students, with LLs trying to have their cake and eat it.

tbs624

guppy wrote: »

........All in all, a big rip off for students, with LLs trying to have their cake and eat it.

Just out of interest Guppy what would your preference be - that LLs charge the full rent across the summer rather than a retainer equivalent to half/third rent? Many students do not want to stay in their Uni city for the summer but residential LLs can't subsidise students by keeping empty houses during non-term periods - they either do it this way or they let for the whole year to non-student tenants. Where would students live then ? As I said above, even the Unis' own halls of residence have contracts that run outside the time that students are actually in Uni.

The economics of these things apply elsewhere in our lives too - I'd like to switch on and off from paying out the full wack for all sorts of things whenever I am not using them but I can't. Looking back a bit, as a young professional I would have welcomed the opportunity to pay a retainer to my own LL when I was away from my home for extended work periods.

As I said above, other LLs will dress it up as a very nominal £100 across the summer but then have a higher rent figure for the Oct -June period. In some areas where there are summer language schools etc it *may* be possible for LLs to fill their rooms for July/August with temporary residents on separate lets but elsewhere it's just not a viable proposition.

When you are a student, no-one *forces* you to book up in advance & there are a good proportion who are happy to play a waiting game & leave it until late Aug/Sept to get somewhere, so avoiding the retainer issue.It does mean of course that they have to cart all their stuff back to the parental home instead of just shifting it round the corner in a -ahem- borrowed supermarket trolley to another student house.

The fact remains however that the better quality houses are booked up the preceding Jan/Feb,often with no need for advertising by the LL because it's done by student recommendation.

guppy

I don't have any preference, its a free market, LLs and students can do what they want. Personally, I think students should drive better bargains though.

If students or parents are prepared to pay a retainer to secure a better quality property then that is up to them. Personally I find the arrangement a bit daft and never paid one myself. I imagine this varies with local market conditions.

Fact is, in some towns, there wouldn't be enough alternative demand for these low quality properties (though maybe this has changed with immigration from Eastern Europe). Maybe only DSS tenants. Presumably landlords feel students are a marginally better bet, especially with their parental guarantors.

The alternative to letting to students would probably be selling up and getting out altogether. No doubt that would then mean a shortage of student properties, higher rents, and some more landlords coming back in to the market...

I don't think anyone is subsidising anyone here. LLs are just exploiting market demand. I imagine most could afford to negotiate, but don't feel the need to, given an abundant supply of students with other things on their minds than moneysaving.

tbs624

guppy wrote: »

I Fact is, in some towns, there wouldn't be enough alternative demand for these low quality properties

The alternative to letting to students would probably be selling up and getting out altogether.....

... yes, as with any sector of the rentals market, there are *some* grim properties and for student lets these will form a good percentage of the ones still available come the start of the autumn term. However, the student lettings market is a very competitive one these days and consequently many ofthese properties are of a high standard: many LLs of "student" properties in the larger towns & cities will often find themselves fielding calls from young professionals too. Any property registered with the Uni accomms office will have had to comply with a code of conduct & uni-specific rules, often including things that are in excess of the current legal requirements for lettings.

guppy wrote: »

I don't think anyone is subsidising anyone here..

.. but the point is that LL's *would* be doing so if they simply said "here, have a couple of months free rental on me".

Middlers

nobblyned wrote: »

Why would you expect that she could go an stay in a house on which you were only paying half rent?

What I am saying is I am effectively paying full rent for 15 days and she only wants to stay for two - therefore no further payment should be made.

Middlers

tbs624 wrote: »

When you are a student, no-one *forces* you to book up in advance & there are a good proportion who are happy to play a waiting game & leave it until late Aug/Sept to get somewhere, so avoiding the retainer issue.It does mean of course that they have to cart all their stuff back to the parental home instead of just shifting it round the corner in a -ahem- borrowed supermarket trolley to another student house. quote]

I hear what you are saying but my daughter had to leave Uni accommodation in June and cannot get into her new rented accommodation until September so she had to bring everything home anyway.

SouthCoast

I am a fan of taking greedy/stupid letting agents out of the equation and dealing direct with the landlord.

nobblyned

Middlers wrote: »

What I am saying is I am effectively paying full rent for 15 days and she only wants to stay for two - therefore no further payment should be made.

You're not paying full rent for any days. You are paying half rent for all the period as a retainer and in return cannot occupy.