Abusive Landlord Taking Money From Credit Card without permission

Milliewilly

So he took money from your friends credit card even though she was upto date with the rent??

The easiest thing is to not take his calls and send him some money and a letter saying when you will pay the remainder you owe him.

By the way real 1314 is actually quite correct in everything they have said whether you like it or not especially point 3 - did you communicate with your Landlord that you were not going to be able to pay as you were applying for a hardship grant?

lynzpower

I would personally take the phone out of the wall and put the mobiles on silent.

Caling one of you repeatedly, on the hour every hour is harrassment- clearly after banking hours what "updates" does he expect.

At the least I would block the door so as that he cannot come in.

He sounds very unhinged and Im afraid there is no telling what he will do. I personally would tell the police.I can tell from what you have written that you are somewhat intimidated by him.

Is your deposit in a deposit scheme?

lynzpower

So he took money from your friends credit card even though she was upto date with the rent??

I honestly dont think legally he can do this. You will all be severably liable so as far aas the LL is concerned you all will owe that money. ( ie not just you)

However whether he can take from your HMs CC is really questionable and I think your student housing ofice should be able to offer some advice in the morning.

adg1

Milliewilly wrote: »

I was a student once! Part of going to Uni aside from the Course is to learn how to look after yourself. Rent / bills / managing budgets etc etc.

I appreciate you are only 18 and its all new but as others have said to be in arrears of £600 in the first term is a downwards spiral. You have signed a contract agreeing to pay and you are out in the big bad world now so you have to take responsibility.

If I understand your posts correctly there are others in the house owing rent too? The landlord must be tearing his hair out.

With Christmas approaching can't you get some bar work or shop work to pad out your income and pay the LL his rent?

I trust you are eating beans on toast and not drinking / going out to save money?

I find this post quite over the top. I'm sure the OP understands that she owes money and that she has to pay for rent as agreed and that there are consequences to not paying. It happens that there is a shortfall. Are you aware that a huge amount of students accross the UK are STILL waiting for their student loans from the SLC? I'm sure she's not the only person struggling currently. She has posted here for advice on what to do in her situation, not to be questioned on her eating habits.

OP - get your friends credit card cancelled straight away he has no right to charge her card unless she has given him express permission.

You need to speak to your university accomodation office and inform them of the problem post haste, but you also need to make a payment to the landlord fast too, even if its a small token with a letter detailing a payment plan or some such.

If you can borrow money from a family member then do. Did the landlord not ask for a guarantor against the rent when you signed the tenancy?

Is it just you who owes the rent? Or do your friends owe money too? Can they help you out this month until your hardship loan comes in from the uni to cover their outlay? I'd assume they'd be kicked out of the house if it came to eviction too under the tenancy if its joint and several.

keith969

samsong_1234 wrote: »

And for the record having a 40 something abusive, loud scots man shout at an 18 year old girl living on her own for the first time in a city would be considered harrassment !!!!!!!

Really? In other posts you claim to be a mature student (you were asking advice on claiming jobseekers allowance despite being on a grant, hmm).

And strangely you were sharing in London, not Scotland, in March this year, and wanted to get out of paying your contractual obligations (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=19911475&highlight=#post19911475).

Seems to me your landlord may have good reason to be annoyed...

PayDay

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Being behind with the rent when you've made a commitment to pay on time is very, very naughty indeed and is obviously causing your landlord anxiety and distress if they have a mortgage to pay on the property.

One of the students is behind with the rent and the landlord is distressed!
BTL is a business and he should have at least three months mortgage payments put by. What happens if he has major repairs on the house

This landlord is guilty of harrassment and it should be reported to the police and the university. He is not above the law.

PayDay

RAS wrote: »

it is considered harassment

Just some people thought calling the police was a bit OTT.

They said to call the police because harassment is a criminal offence.

Milliewilly

adg1 wrote: »

I find this post quite over the top. I'm sure the OP understands that she owes money and that she has to pay for rent as agreed and that there are consequences to not paying. It happens that there is a shortfall. Are you aware that a huge amount of students accross the UK are STILL waiting for their student loans from the SLC? I'm sure she's not the only person struggling currently. She has posted here for advice on what to do in her situation, not to be questioned on her eating habits.

OP - get your friends credit card cancelled straight away he has no right to charge her card unless she has given him express permission.

You need to speak to your university accomodation office and inform them of the problem post haste, but you also need to make a payment to the landlord fast too, even if its a small token with a letter detailing a payment plan or some such.

If you can borrow money from a family member then do. Did the landlord not ask for a guarantor against the rent when you signed the tenancy?

Is it just you who owes the rent? Or do your friends owe money too? Can they help you out this month until your hardship loan comes in from the uni to cover their outlay? I'd assume they'd be kicked out of the house if it came to eviction too under the tenancy if its joint and several.

My post isn't over the top.

The problem is she has not taken responsibility for her own actions. If her grant has not come through she should have told the landlord before she signed the tenancy that she might not be able to pay. Its clear there is more to this if you read Keiths recent post.

I have a short fuse for people getting themselves into Debt and then whingeing about it. People nowadays expect to be cut some slack when they get themselves into a mess. I have every sympathy for people losing their job etc but the OP's circumstances haven't changed from when she signed the tenancy. The Landlord has every right to be annoyed £600 is not one months rent. I am not condoning what he has done but there are a flurry of posts here supporting the OP about harrasment and quiet enjoyment / changing the locks - even involving the Police rather than how to get the debt paid (like by eating beans on toast and getting a job).

My post about the beans on toast was if you have ever been a student you would know that its an 'in joke' in that thats all you can afford to eat.

Jowo_2

lynzpower wrote: »

Is your deposit in a deposit scheme?

TDS is for England and Wales only - this doesn't apply to the OP who is in Scotland.

adg1

Milliewilly wrote: »

My post about the beans on toast was if you have ever been a student you would know that its an 'in joke' in that thats all you can afford to eat.

I have been a student and managed to eat quite well thank you. I don't even like beans!

I get the point that she hasn't taken responsibility for actions or managed the expectations of the landlord, but at the end of the day she was wasking for advice, not a lecture.