Flat mate taking the P...

AbbieCadabra

oops! double post - 1st time didn't appear, by the time i'd done it all again, there it is! grrr!

tbs624

LL and LA have to act on this one. Check your tenancy agreement through, as there will usually be a clause about not allowing/carrying out any "immoral/illegal" behaviour on the premises, and there may also be a clause about not causing nuisance to fellow occupants/neighbours.

If you haven't got the LL's name and address you can download the info from the Land Registry for a small fee or put a written request into the LA . They then have 21 days in which to give you the info or they will be committing a *criminal* offence.

In the menatime, y ou say you moved in at the beginning of March and that there is a break clause at 6 months. What's the wording - is it eg, give 2 months notice at four months or give notice at the 6 month point? As a back-up you want to make sure that you can use the clause and don't miss the appropriate dates.

Photograph your own stuff and the condition of the flat, and then lock the majority of your belongings away in your own room.

If you get nowhere with the LL/LA contact the Private Sector Rentals Officer at the local Council and ask for their advice.

escortg3

These are really good. £40 ? should get you a good one. choose your own number:)

sonastin

Why don't you move all your furniture into storage? If you're spending all your time away from the flat because you can't bear to be there, you don't need it so why should she get the benefit of it? If I was in your situation, I wouldn't be able to stand being in the shared parts of the flat anyway so I'd keep everything I needed to get by in my room and put everything else into storage until I could move somewhere else.

gnimia

escortg3 wrote: »

These are really good. £40 ? should get you a good one. choose your own number:)

This link doesnt work for me is there a googleable name?

getmore4less

I would have a visit to the local police station in person and have a chat about the situation.

I think it would help that you tried to get advice before the late night call out.

N79

tbs624 wrote: »

LL and LA have to act on this one. Check your tenancy agreement through, as there will usually be a clause about not allowing/carrying out any "immoral/illegal" behaviour on the premises, and there may also be a clause about not causing nuisance to fellow occupants/neighbours.

If you haven't got the LL's name and address you can download the info from the Land Registry for a small fee or put a written request into the LA . They then have 21 days in which to give you the info or they will be committing a *criminal* offence.

Come on TBS - what exactly do you expect the LL to do?

We both know that LLs are essentially powerless to intervene in what is effectively a dispute between two Ts. Both Ts have security of tenure to 6 months. Beyond a stongly worded letter drawing attention to the appropriate clause in the tenancy agreement, you know and I know and now the OP knows that there is just no further action that the LL can take until the break clause can be actioned. Even then, there is no obligation for the LL to act.

Lets face it, a S8G12 or S8G14 eviction will fail, as they always do. It would just be a waste of the LL's time and money.

Lish_2

Hi Guys,
Thanks so much for your helpful advice, its really comforting to know I am not the only one who is/has put up with this.
The update is that she has been staying out of my way- I havent seen her at all. She fell in the door last night with a friend at 2.30am but thats all I've heard so far.
I spoke to the letting agent and told her of my concerns and the fact that my ensuite is leaking and I hold my flat mate responsible because I have never had this problem before I went away and I also grassed her up for not reporting the leak to maintenance!
LA suggested talking to her and sorting the 'issues' out. I have already told her that she is not prepared to take any sort of responsibility and although I would be willing to get it all out in the open, there is no point if she wont acknowledge a problem!

I took your advice and have taken EVERYTHING out of the flat that is mine and stored it in my room (with the exception of the furniture of course) and she retailiated by taking her TV out of the front room and a bottle of washing up liquid!!!!! Because thats all she owns in the entire flat! Lol.
She hasnt been able to cook herself anything to eat because she has no cutlery, crockery, kitchen utensils or anything whatsoever. Ha!
I put my TV back in the front room and have made sure I have been sat on MY sofa watching MY telly which stands on MY cabinet until late so she has not been able to use the living room at all....

I am pretty certain there will be a showdown pretty soon and I am currently waiting to hear back from the LL if I can get a lock fitted to my door (apparantly I cant attach one without their permission) so will keep you all posted.

With regards to having a cat in the flat- this has been 100% agreed with the LA and LL before I moved in so no worries there.
And yes, I have been tempted to lock her outside in the cold too and have seriously had to stop myself from emptying the cat litter tray all over her bed last night when I was cleaning it out but I dont want to lower myself to her level and give her any amunission to use against me plus I am a chicken... lol.

One question I have though, considering this leak wasnt reported sooner- my carpet in my bedroom looks as though it might be a right-off. Can I do anything to hold her responsible? Would be good to know even if I dont do it but scare her with something anyway?.... Do let me know you helpful lot! :-)

BitterAndTwisted

I'm assuming that the carpet was supplied by the landlord and if that is the case I would have a chat with the agents and let them know that in your opinion any payment for replacement (if necessary) should be deducted from her deposit rather than yours. They may not want to get into this but it's worth a try. It's possible that once the repair is carried out and the carpet dries completely there may not be any permanent damage. Fingers crossed.

Mischa8

Lish wrote: »

Hi Guys,
Thanks so much for your helpful advice, its really comforting to know I am not the only one who is/has put up with this.
The update is that she has been staying out of my way- I havent seen her at all. She fell in the door last night with a friend at 2.30am but thats all I've heard so far.
I spoke to the letting agent and told her of my concerns and the fact that my ensuite is leaking and I hold my flat mate responsible because I have never had this problem before I went away and I also grassed her up for not reporting the leak to maintenance!
LA suggested talking to her and sorting the 'issues' out. I have already told her that she is not prepared to take any sort of responsibility and although I would be willing to get it all out in the open, there is no point if she wont acknowledge a problem!

I took your advice and have taken EVERYTHING out of the flat that is mine and stored it in my room (with the exception of the furniture of course) and she retailiated by taking her TV out of the front room and a bottle of washing up liquid!!!!! Because thats all she owns in the entire flat! Lol.
She hasnt been able to cook herself anything to eat because she has no cutlery, crockery, kitchen utensils or anything whatsoever. Ha!
I put my TV back in the front room and have made sure I have been sat on MY sofa watching MY telly which stands on MY cabinet until late so she has not been able to use the living room at all....

I am pretty certain there will be a showdown pretty soon and I am currently waiting to hear back from the LL if I can get a lock fitted to my door (apparantly I cant attach one without their permission) so will keep you all posted.

With regards to having a cat in the flat- this has been 100% agreed with the LA and LL before I moved in so no worries there.
And yes, I have been tempted to lock her outside in the cold too and have seriously had to stop myself from emptying the cat litter tray all over her bed last night when I was cleaning it out but I dont want to lower myself to her level and give her any amunission to use against me plus I am a chicken... lol.

One question I have though, considering this leak wasnt reported sooner- my carpet in my bedroom looks as though it might be a right-off. Can I do anything to hold her responsible? Would be good to know even if I dont do it but scare her with something anyway?.... Do let me know you helpful lot! :-)

Well done on all the above. I think this has happened with my other flatmates and in friends' situations in the past.

The worst thing in the world you can do is let her behaviour get to you, so well done for you both keeping clear.

The LA will maybe do one of two things, either charge you both responsible for the damage to the carpet or just her. I feel that if your flatmate tried to pin the blame for carpet's damage on you (and she may do, out of retaliation) then best thing to do is just split the cost for that damage, *if* there is any.

I know exactly what you say about flatmates not wanting to talk/sort out issues, I've been there, done that, got T-shirt - best thing I did in the end was sorted things out, ie got in pest control for mice (mice were already in my apartment when I moved in, flatmate told me *after* I signed contract, 3 months later, found mouse in my room eating chocolate on a low/floor level shelf... etc...) and when there were problems with shared council tax not being paid I and she both went to council together! But I was the one who suggested we actually visit them rather than ring and get fobbed off!

Re: the kitchen stuff - I totally don't blame you for that or locking your possessions in your room.

I would just be VERY CAREFUL if there's a showdown - especially as you know she takes class A drugs and has friends who have been with her in the flat doing this. You don't want things escalating and then violence.

From your other previous posts, you mention a fiance and getting married, why aren't you living with him?! Surely that'd make the best sense all round and is what I would certainly be doing.

Flatmates are very hit and miss, love and hate them - which is why I am now living by myself. Bliss.....:D