I'm being THROWN OUT of my student accomodation...PLEASE HELP!

LittleMe

Hi

I just want to say first that i really appreciate any advice any one is able to give me. thank you for reading this.

well, i'm a student in sheffield about to go into my third year. anyway, i signed my tenancy agreement with the accomodation owned by UNITE a few months back, paid my deposit and everything. this agreement started just a few days ago.

now i've got a couple of mates who are in sheffield on work placement till the end of sept. they are also students. but it's not worthwhile for them to get student accom for one month or any private accom (they couldn't for one month). so i decided to let them stay in my flat for the past few nights while i was still back at home with parents. i didnt intend to move into my accom until sometime next week.

anyway, the manager of the accomodation found out that i was letting my mates stay there while i want present. and now the manager is demanding that i have to leave the accomodation by tomorrow. i've only had a few days notice and am panicking to find something else. i'm also feeling physically unwell because of the siatuation...

the manager said that they will find me a replacement tenant if i leave by thursday and only keep my deposit. if i dont leave by thursday, i will have to find a replacement tenant (which includes paying rent until i find someone) and still have to leave. as you can see they are giving me no options, i lose out both way and i dont think this is fair. i honestly feel like im being bullied by the manager and other staff of the accom, who want to see me out.

anyway, i'm a law student and don't think this can be right. can they really tell me to leave like this? can they force me out? was what i did a breach serious enough to terminate the contract?

i'm unsure what my rights are, and i'm stuck. i'm trying to find an accomodation in sheffield without luck and have to have my things moved out by tomorrow.

i honestly don't know what to do, and my parents are just as clueless as i am.

i would be grateful if anyone could help me out in the situation. thank you so much for reading this.

please let me know if you need anymore information :-)

pimento

Hi Little Me

You may get more help if you post this in the house buying, selling and renting forum. They all seem to know their stuff in there.

Good luck!

LittleMe

thanks, i'll post it there too :-)

underlay_guru

Hi,

Although I know that its just a couple of mates dossing down for a few nights, in the eyes of the law you have sub-letted the room out. For all the landlord knows, you could have been pocketing rent money from them behind his back.

I am sure that your tennancy agreement will state that you are not allowed to do this - therefore the landlord would be justified in throwing you out: sorry its not what you want to hear.

All I can suggest is that you make an official apology to the landlord, assure him you did not take any payment from them, and promise you won't do it again, offering to sign some sort of further agreement to guarantee this. He may be lenient and offer the room back...

RadoJo

What does your contract say? Is there any mention of guests or visitors and the terms and conditions under which they may stay at the property? I'm guessing that as far as the agency are concerned, you have sub-let the flat (you may not have received money from your friends, but they aren't to know that) and presumably you gave them keys to the building - did they have access to any communal areas, maybe a main front door? If so, I have to say, I think you are on shaky ground - whilst you may have been trying to do a nice thing for a friend, if you allowed people unsupervised access to areas reserved from tenants only then this sounds as though you could be in breach of the agreement you had with the landlords. See what your contract says and you might have more of an idea about your options.

PasturesNew

You don't know how well/bad your friends behaved while in the premises either. If they'd simply gone in, slept, kept their heads low, it might have been spotted but not an issue... if they were annoying, loud, came in drunk at 3am slamming doors, upset other people, were smoking inside etc etc etc ... then the management would have been all over it like a rash.

It's possible the agreement had these situations tied up very tightly. Leases on living accommodation of any sort aren't like people do things on the telly. On the telly people come and go, stay or not, hand over keys, move out and in when they want and with whom they want ... not in the real world.

Freddie_Snowbits

LittleMe wrote: »

so i decided to let them stay in my flat for the past few nights

Numptie. You have answered your own question, you 'sub' let your flat!

Judith_W

Surely only subletting if Little Me has taken rent off them. It seems that it would be common during the term for friends to visit for a couple of nights and doss on the sofa, I know I certainly did!

Freddie_Snowbits

Judith_W wrote: »

Surely only subletting if Little Me has taken rent off them. It seems that it would be common during the term for friends to visit for a couple of nights and doss on the sofa, I know I certainly did!

But if they upset other students, why should OP stay?

dmg24

Judith_W wrote: »

Surely only subletting if Little Me has taken rent off them. It seems that it would be common during the term for friends to visit for a couple of nights and doss on the sofa, I know I certainly did!

The difference is that you were there.

I would find it odd to let a group of my friends stay in my own house whilst I was not there, let alone student accom.