Lodger underpaying by 31p, would you make a fuss?

roses

I have often emailed people I have lived with just because I hardly ever saw them. We don't know why the OP emailed them. Maybe they work shifts?

And the OP didn't say they were causing an arguement. They asked whether they should make a fuss or not which indicates they haven't yet made a big issue out of it with the lodger (yet).

gaz_jones

carolt wrote: »

I hope she pays you your £3,72 at the end of the year, I really do.

I mean - you're obviously pretty hard up yourself, as frankly most people would earn £3.72 in the time it took you to start a whole thread on the subject of 31p.

Tight or what. :eek:

You can tell the people that are destined to make a lot of money in life.

The ones that aren't are usually the ones that let small debts go.

Collect debts no matter how small they are. Collect enough of them and you'll have a lot of money. .31p may not sound like much but if she has 20 properties under her belt and these people rent for a few years the debt soon adds up.

lostinrates

gaz_jones wrote: »

if she has 20 properties under her belt .

this is different. This is her home.

It is to keep such things easy, in her home, I would have opted for a round number.

Its is to keep things easy if the person was someone other wise compatible I would let 31p go. (regardless of principle, which I agree, is taht she should be paid the .31p)

I might end up 31 pence porrer for every month of my life as a result, but my guess is I'd end up many times less stressed and more happy instead of worrying about calcutaions of 31 pence and bad feeling in my home, which should be a place of refuge and pleasure.

I would not involve a lodger in bill calculations but set a fee: a set fee which wioll cover roughly half the bills. I would round it to the nearest £5, may be £10 and that I would exopect in the way I had agreed when we had agreed, and if that didn't work I would lose the lodger and get a compatible one. If I were worried about amounts of 31q pence I would not have accepted someone who before moving i had shown money quibblinhg tendancies.

I wish OP the best of luck resolving the issue in whichever way suits her best, and hppiness in her future

I

Turin_Turambar

Wouldn't it be funny if the OP is taking the pi$$ and everyone is falling for it:rolleyes:

RobertoMoir

carolt wrote: »

The implication of "lack of respect" is that the landlord is entitled to some sort of extra respect - I don't believe that.

They are entitled to the 31p, yes.

But respect cuts both ways; I think emailing someone you live with over 31p is phenomenally rude, actually.

I never said that the LL was entitled to "extra" respect. I am not aware of implying it either. Agreeing a price for a "service" and not sticking to that shows a lack of basic respect and courtesy for the person you're making that deal with. Nothing about "extra" respect at all.

As for emailing someone being rude - I'm not sure I'd do that myself, at least initially, but I'm not sure I'd class it as "rude" either. Possibly un-necessarily formal, depending on the circumstances, but not "rude" by default. Guess we'll have to disagree on that one. Just as a point of interest though, if we accept that was rude, how does that stack up compared to the overall behaviour of the tenant in this case?

bumpoowee

gaz_jones wrote: »

You can tell the people that are destined to make a lot of money in life.

The ones that aren't are usually the ones that let small debts go.

Collect debts no matter how small they are. Collect enough of them and you'll have a lot of money. .31p may not sound like much but if she has 20 properties under her belt and these people rent for a few years the debt soon adds up.

No, the people who make a lot of money in life are those who use their time productively. Spending weeks chasing round pennies never made anyone rich.

Fundamentally, this is a matter of principles vs business sense. Those who favour business sense will generally let a minute underpayment go in the interests of living with a lodger successfully.

Those whos principles massively outweigh their business sense will harass and alienate their lodger for a pathetic amount such as this.

sporedude

If I was the lodger I'd give it to them cash in hand, "Heres your 31p you tight arsed b*stard"

Ulfar

Sorry but who is the tight !!!! here the landlady who is only asking what is due or the tenant who isn't paying their way. This is such a small amount that the tenant is playing games.

The OP is going to have to tackle this face to face and make it plain that if the tenant isn't willing to honour their agreement then the tenant will have to find somewhere else to live.

To all those who think the OP is petty, I don't think your attitude would be the same if you were in this position.

Notlob

£3.65 over a year?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I understand the principle, but lets get a grip here. Just deducted from the deposit at the end of the tenancy and worry about something else.

Notlob

carolt

No - you're wrong Ufar.

Sorry, I cannot possibly imagine a situation in which I'd quibble over 31p.

Many people have said 'but what if Tesco's overcharged you by 31p?'

Well, I'm sure I have been overcharged by 31p or so by Tesco's on occasion, but I've let it go, you know.

I earn more than 31p in the time it would take me to ring up/go in and complain about the 31p, so why on earth would I put myself through all the hassle?

Just so I could be 'right' and they could be 'wrong'?

Who cares?

How much more does this applies if I have to actually live with the person and they can make my life a misery in so many little unquantifiable ways? Why would I sacrifice a happy relationship with someone who's living in my house for 31p?

It just beggars belief.

If the OP hates the tenant that much, then get rid of them - but the 31p is really neither here nor there.

So does everyone else on here REALLY pick it up every single time they're overcharged 31p or not paid 31p for work done?

How do they ever have enough time to actually get any work done?