advice needed on where i stand for bills etc

dawyldthing

Hiya

I was wondering if anyone had been in the situation before and so could give advice.

Basically i'm a student and in January on my way to placement I broke my ankle after slipping on the ice. I went back to my uni home and my landlord was there (unnounced, no notice, was just there tidying up - and he regularly does this) He told me I should go home, so I went home for the 2 months it took to heal. In the meantime my 4 housemates (although one was never there, so really its 3 of them) managed to rack up 540 of electric and gas - so I was wondering since I wasn't there and my landlord told me to go where exactly I stand with it? He is now saying that he would take me to the small claims court if i don't pay them, even though I wasn't there and he told me to go home, so i was just wondering if anyone has any advice?

In addition last year I showed people around the house and the landlord said for every person who signed up I would get 50 pounds for, so 3 signed up and I should have got 150 quid, but he never paid it and I have an e-mail to confirm this arrangement. I've e-mailed to see if he will offset the bills from this, but now hes not bothered replying, and I know hes back off holiday as yet again he decided to let himself in without notice and check out someones room who has decided to move out as shes finished uni.

If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated as its nothing but a headache and I don't want to have to go to court!

terryw

Is it not just possible that when your landlord advised you to go home, that this was just for a short period of nursing as you had injured yourself, and he really did not mean for you to leave for two months? During this two months, did you contact him at all.? Did it not cross your mind that during a very cold spell, your flat-mates might be using larger than usual amounts of power for which you would have to pay a share?

He should deduct the £150 from anything owing - you have proof of this agreement.

RAS

Hi

£540 gas and electric is less than £110 each person. WHow much is the LL asking you to pay?

dawyldthing

I still don't have proof of the agreement, he never gave us a copy. Hes asking us to pay the £110 each, but I had to go home as its the top flight of spiral stairs and I couldn't make it up the stairs.

Emmzi

your landlord is not your mother! you are an adult and responsible for your own bills and it was your responsibility to negotiate any reduction in bills with your flatmates BEFORE going home.

dawyldthing

I couldn't, none of them were here as 1 was at work and the rest didn't return for the following week. He decided to put all the bills in his name, so if he hadn't done so then I would have been able to discuss it with the rest, but as it stands there paid by him.

What I want to know is, he has not took a deposit so claims that what isn't paid by the time we all leave he will take us to court over, so i was wondering what happens then. At the end of the day he owes me the money anyway from me showing people around anyway, so its not like I want him to mother me. I suggested from the start that all the bills were in our name, but he decided to do it his own way

Emmzi

what does your tenenacy agreement say?

what does your contract of employment for showing people around say?

[Deleted User]

dawyldthing wrote: »

Hiya



In addition last year I showed people around the house and the landlord said for every person who signed up I would get 50 pounds for, so 3 signed up and I should have got 150 quid, but he never paid it and I have an e-mail to confirm this arrangement.

If u have an email to confirm he would pay u £50 for each person u showed around the flat who later moved in, I would consider this proof and u should show it to him. However be prepared for him to dispute who u showed around and who moved in.

dawyldthing

I don't have the tenancy agreement, basically he got us to sign it then promised us a copy, 10 months down the line i'm still waiting for a copy of it. I didn't have a copy of employment as i wasn't employed to do it, i did it as a favour as last year he was an alright landlord, this year hes become a landlord from hell.

I've kept all the e-mails about it, so if it does go to court then i'll show them it. I've got e-mails where they got in contact with me, i've shown them round then hes e-mailed to say that there signing the tenancy so don't know if that will be ok.

Thanks for your help though, its just been a nightmare year!

[Deleted User]

I am not a legal expert but believe that is more than enough evidence. As you haven't paid a deposit the only way he can get the bill money is if he takes u to court. Tell him that u have evidence of the agreement that if you show around prospective tenants you will get £50 (if u have).., evidence of meetings to show them round, evidence of them taking a tenancy and see what he says.

dawyldthing

Thanks for your help. I think i'll ask him for a meeting to try and sort it out as its giving me a headache