Any student let landlords around ?

jollyanna

I'm asking because today my o/h went with my son to collect all his bulk belongings from his room in a student house, he left a week ago ,just a small terrace house in a city with little claim to affluence.
When they went in my son's room there was a bloke asleep in his bed and an array of bottles and the whole place reeked of cannabis. Only one paying tennant remains at the house and the tennancy doesn't expire till the end of July. The remaining tennant is letting mates stay there, only one room was without a stranger this morning. I guess he could be sub-letting, who knows ?
Having paid the deposit for my son, I'm anxious to see it returned in full and I don't want to have to forfeit it because someone who has no right to be in that room/bed , has trashed the vacated room.
Crazy/scary, but each student only had a front door key and their rooms were /are not locked individually - not an arrangement that I would consider satisfactory but the landlord must have had some method in mind for this arrangement.
The let is through an agency though I know who the landlord is.
I'm contacting the agent tomorrow but wonder if it would be better to speak to the landlord if poss. expressing my concerns. Would a landlord be interested or is this just part and parcel of being a landlord and doesn't really matter?
Sorry if I'm being long-winded and hope I make sense.

Emmzi

1) is it a joint tenancy? if so your son is still liable for any damage until the tenancy is up whether he is there or not; it'd be his problem to recover it from other lodgers, not the landlords

2) by all means talk to landlord about unpermitted guests if your son does not want to be friends with the other tennants in the future

3) a lot, an awful awful lot of students smoke dope. Probably won't surprise LL at all and I doubt he'll be calling the cops or care particularly

4) why wouldn't your son be dealing with this as an adult and not you? just a thought...

orangeslimes

jollyanna wrote: »

Crazy/scary, but each student only had a front door key and their rooms were /are not locked individually - not an arrangement that I would consider satisfactory but the landlord must have had some method in mind for this arrangement.

I think that is quite standard - I don't know of many student houses with individual locks on rooms? But then I have always lived with people who I can trust.

What is your son's relationship like with the remaining flatmate?

jollyanna

I'm dealing with this as it is my money going down the swanney if the deposit is not refunded. Son and o/h having related this to me today after going to agency about it just after they closed for the day. Son will be here when I contact the agent tomorrow to listen to how to stand and deliver facts and expect answers, quote from the tennancy agreement and note down responses
It's not a joint tennacy and the 2 girls who were there went 6 weeks ago.
Son has had good freindship with remaining tennant as in sharing meals and company, he isn't British, from a Diplomatic family .
I've had 3 kids studying away and this is the first time the room has not been lockable.

Emmzi

so it's really a call on what price he puts on friendship with the one remaining tennant...

me, I'd ask the guy to live, give the room a damn good clean, buy a temporary lock to go on the door, get the LL over to agree return of deposit, and give LL the key to the temporary lock.

http://shop.packyourbags.com/acatalog/Howsar_Temporary_Door_Lock.html

jollyanna

I think that fitting any sort of lock would be deemed as damage.
As son is has no desire to maintain friendship with this lad, no objections, just more worthwhile people in his life, and deffo not going back to same house, I think he gives him a "where my caravan has rested" type farewell.
So then, landlord is likely to be disinterested and I just lodge complaints with agent and get it documented ,is that for the best ?

PasturesNew

There are these locks too: http://www.locksonline.co.uk/acatalog/Temporary_Door_Locks.html (£30-35 though, +P&P)

Brallaqueen

Locks on doors increase the fire risk, according to the accreditation scheme in my area. If you have locked doors (and a lot of student lets do) then you need fire doors and mains interlinked fire alarm system, and those locks you can thumb turn. It may be that the landlord is avoiding having to do 'uneccesary' works.

tbs624

Is the property a registered HMO? You can check the local Council website for info.

Is the property registered with the Uni Accomms Office?

If your son's agreement is for an individual room, plus use of communal areas, then his deposit covers the final condition of both parts of that. I would in the first instance follow Pastures New's excellent suggestion and lock the bedroom off.

Any of the Ts will be allowed to have occasional guests but that does not extend to using the bedrooms of the other Ts without their consent/knowledge. There is also a standard clause within most tenancy agreements which forbids the use of the property for illegal/immoral purposes and that includes both Ts and their guests puffing on waccy baccy.

You and your son need to agree on the way forward: lock plus firm guidance *in writing* to the remaining T, with the promise of random checks & copy of the letter sent on to LA/LL, or just take it straight to the LA & LL . Either way confirm everything in writing and keep copies. Your son should take dated photos of his room ( include shot of daily newspaper masthead in each picture)

If this remaining T is from a diplomat family he may be assuming he can do what he likes and try the "immunity" route.

Is your son's tenancy deposit ( your money) registered with one of the 3 approved schemes btw and did he receive the scheme's prescribed info?