Left Houseshare Early - Please Help!

Drea

Okay this might be long but I'd appreciate any advice from people who know what's what I'm in Scotland.

I rented a room in a flatshare with the tenancy beginning on 27th September, the landlady was on holiday when I moved in and for a week afterwards. I stayed in the flat for 3 nights until there was a huge row between me and a couple who lived in one of the other rooms. I was told that I 'had walked into the wrong flat' and 'had ruined my chances' when I tried to talk it over with them to sort it out. I felt bullied, intimidated and I was in tears so I left, I couldn't have stayed there. I tried to get a hold of the landlady but there was no answer because she was on holiday.

I emailed her to let her know what had happened and that I had left and got a call when she got home. She told me that even though the contract was legally binding, she wasn't going to hold me to the 6 months and as long as I paid until she found someone else this would be fine. I agreed to this thinking it wouldn't take too long and she already had a months rent.

She emailed me on Monday night to let me know that she was doing a viewing on Wednesday and to keep my fingers crossed, I didn't hear anything else until today when she has sent me an email to let me know that nobody took the flat. She also said in the email that I have to pay until she finds someone else plus for the advertising (which aparantly is £10 so far - even though it is possible to advertise a room for free), and also for her petrol (£20 a trip) so I seem to have already raked up a bill of £30 without ever knowing about these 'costs'. She said there was another viewing early next week so there's £50.

I don't want to rock the boat too much in case she can then say that I will have to pay the full 6 months.

Basically I'm wondering if I have any rights at all here? I know the contract is legally binding but do I have any rights now that she's agreed to let me out of it? Or could I have a way out because I felt threatened? Anything at all? She also still has my deposit and I'm not sure how things would work with that...

I'll phone Shelter on Monday but was hoping for some advice until then, thanks.

roses

I believe that the law is you are obliged to pay for your rent until she finds someone else but nothing else. She is obliged to use her best efforts to find someone but she definitely cannot charge you for her effort.

tek-monkey

Do you have a really obnoxious violent friend? You're already paying the rent after all....

Drea

tek-monkey wrote: »

Do you have a really obnoxious violent friend? You're already paying the rent after all....

None of them are my friends. There are 5 others in the flat and I don't know any of them or the landlady (who doesn't live there).

DVardysShadow

Drea wrote: »

None of them are my friends. There are 5 others in the flat and I don't know any of them or the landlady (who doesn't live there).

You miss the point. Another friend who 'could be' a tenant but who would take your place, while retaining their own accommodation.

PasturesNew

What the landlady is telling you is correct, you have to pay until the end of the 6 months, or until a replacement is found -plus- the costs of finding that replacement (e.g. advertising/petrol).

There is nothing to stop you advertising it too - I'd do some adverts directing people to her advert, or if it's an email/phone number then copy her advert exactly.

Drea

DVardysShadow wrote: »

You miss the point. Another friend who 'could be' a tenant but who would take your place, while retaining their own accommodation.

Ohh I see I was being a bit daft then. Can't think of anyone unfortunately :rotfl:

PasturesNew wrote: »

What the landlady is telling you is correct, you have to pay until the end of the 6 months, or until a replacement is found -plus- the costs of finding that replacement (e.g. advertising/petrol).

There is nothing to stop you advertising it too - I'd do some adverts directing people to her advert, or if it's an email/phone number then copy her advert exactly.

Would it therefore be unreasonable for me to ask for the receipts of said petrol/advertising?

If she does a viewing a week that is £80 petrol and say £20 advertising a month = an extra £100 over and above my rent. I can't afford to pay that even if I wanted to what a mess...

roses

I don't believe you have to pay her advertising costs because she would have to pay these anyway if you left the tenancy at the end of the fixed term.

Best check with shelter.

Jowo_2

A landlord does not have to consent to you having an early release from . a contract. The tenant's personal circumstances, such as relationship breakdown, are irrelevant to this. The Shelter website has info on how to handle domestic problems and flatmate disputes, plus info on the return of the deposit.

It is the norm for a landlord that agrees to this to make this on condition of the outgoing tenant to pay any expenses associated with this, which is usually quite nominal when compared with the remaining term on the tenancy.

Fire_Fox

roses wrote: »

I don't believe you have to pay her advertising costs because she would have to pay these anyway if you left the tenancy at the end of the fixed term.

Which is six months away! The next tenant might only stay six months which means the landlord would incur advertising costs twice in that period instead of once if the OP did not breach her tenancy. The landlady can claim all reasonable expenses that arise from the tenant breaking the tenancy agreement.

I'm surprised the OP moved into a shared house without meeting the other residents.

Drea

Fire_Fox wrote: »

I'm surprised the OP moved into a shared house without meeting the other residents.

It tends to be how shared flats work, trust me, it p*sses me off too. I'd much rather actually meet who I'll be living with. But aparantly the landlords/ladies can only show me around during the day or straight from work when most of the tenants are also at work or on their way home.