help with "friend" staying in house.....

onecalledk

Hi

let friend of mine stay in my house as a favour whilst she looked for other rented accomodation, i am between homes at the moment as i have moved in with my boyfriend in a different town. I am eventually hoping to rent out my house when my boyfriend and i have got a new bigger house to move into. The "friend" has been a pain since moving in really, I had asked her to tidy garden and not to move my possessions or take pictures of the walls etc. I only took money to cover the mortgage and that was all, no bills or anything. My property had someone in it and she could save for a depost. HUGE MISTAKE!!! after getting the rules she went all weird and told me that she hadnt agreed to anything and that it wouldnt work. she then gave me notice and told me if i wanted her out before the 4 weeks she was due refund. I told her the 4 weeks was fine and was very diplomatic about it. got email yesterday from her telling me that she is being eaten alive by fleas left by my cat and that she is moving out within the day and wants half her "rent" back! I find this instulting to say the least. I did have a cat in the property and it moved with me 6 weeks ago completely flea free. I have stayed on occassion in the house, the most recent was last week and noticed nothing. In fact my boyfriend and I went in passed the house to collect some belongings the day before she sent the email!

I have no intention of returning her money and my boyfriend thinks that is all she is aiming at. However i now am faced with the potential problem of beasties in my house which she must have introduced as there was no problem previous to her moving in and i was there the night she moved in!!! Do i charge her for the materials ie the expensive spray from vet to solve the problem she is complaining about ?!

I know i have been v stupid in not having an agreement etc in place but i wasnt viewing it as a rent as such, just helping out a friend who it appears is ready to stab me in the back !

K

Doozergirl

It's summer. You get bitten. There probably aren't any beasties. I'd take that with a pinch of salt.

JanCee

How much did you actually charge her?

p00hsticks

Flea eggs can lie dormant in carpets etc for months on end, so I wouldn't immediately discount her story if I were you - it's possible that the heatwave last week may have caused them to come out and multiply.

http://www.ehow.com/about_4598532_do-fleas-originate.html

Imp

You have given her possession of your house, you live elsewhere, and you receive money from her. It sounds like you have set up an Assured Shorthold Tenancy, with all that that entails. I think it would be worth agreeing to refunding her rent in exchange for her surrendering the property (and giving you a letter of surrender), as it is currently a right mess.

Radiantsoul

She is a friend so I wouldn't charge her for flea spray(it sounds like she won't pay anyway).

I would probably refund her the four weeks money too.

neas

indeed for sake of 2 weeks rent... for the month is it really worth hassle? Just give her it back, take it on chin and sort out a proper AST.

barnaby-bear

p00hsticks wrote: »

Flea eggs can lie dormant in carpets etc for months on end, so I wouldn't immediately discount her story if I were you - it's possible that the heatwave last week may have caused them to come out and multiply.

http://www.ehow.com/about_4598532_do-fleas-originate.html

Fits with cat with fleas - cat leaves flea eggs - cat moves out - fleas no longer have kitty to eat - fleas turn to tenant as second-best lunch.....

sarahs999

Friends and house lending don't mix well. SHe sounds a nightmare! I was once the 'friend' on the other end and all that happened was the day I went in there a cupboard door in the kitchen fell off - soon as I opened it.. I kind of fixed it but it didn't seem like it was my job to get a carpenter out, but my friend went mental and our friendship actually really suffered, never really recovered. I don't think I'd ever borrow someone's house again, the grief I got for it
Your woman, however, is taking the !!!!, and I would get her out of your house asap. How does she know it's not mosquitos anyway?

Cissi

I'd get her out asap, refund half the rent as she's asked for and thank my lucky star for a lucky escape - before she realises that she's actually entitled to all the rights of an AST!

I'd probably write off the "friendship" as well, but to be honest it looks like you've already done that since you call her a "friend"...

pickle

The flea eggs can stay dormant, the same thing happened after I bought a property. If I were you I'd refund the half month's rent as requested and bid farewell. Save yourself the aggravation.