Help a lodger in need.

c00lbeans

Once again I come to the forums seeking help, not for myself, but for another.

I have a friend, generally a nice guy, maybe a little niave, he's renting a room out in a house. The situation is 3 rooms let to seperate people, with one of the people being a family member of the owner who we'll call flatmate A. we'll call my friend MF.

As far as I can tell hes a lodger, he says he doesnt have a contract or lease in place and didnt pay a deposit, he pays for the rent in arrears.

Apparently an argument started with the flatemate A,who was quite abusive and threatening, MF didn't feel particularly safe so he went and stayed with his girlfriend for the night,

The next day he got a txt from flatemate A apologising for the outburst. I "think" this is because the owner/landlord is hard up for cash and relies on the rents for the mortgage and was probably a bit peed off when he realised that his kin was doing his best to drive out a tenant.

Now MF was pretty shaken up and had made the decision to move back to his folks, we helped him move his valueables (tv, computer etc) out that day.

When FlatMate A got back and found MF's stuff cleared out he phoned him and left a message, I got to listen to this and it was pretty freaking scary, lots of F'ing and Blinding, threats, "I know where your mum lives, I know where your dad lives, I know where you work, if your money isnt in this month There will be a letter to your work from the courts saying you cant pay your rent, and we'll see how they like that."

Now MF is terrified, he was going to let his money go in at the end of the month, for the past month he was living there, now hes saying he'll give them another months notice, he obviously isnt going to live there, but is planning on paying them another months rent ontop of this one.

Ive told him to not worry, keep the recording, write them a letter saying why he was moving out, state he would pay for July at the end of july as normal as he had lived there most of the month, but after that the Standing order was stopping, also to advise them that any more threats would be directed to the police.

I've also said to go to our manager (we work together) and explain what was happening, the manager is a chilled out guy and will understand.

I just wanted to check what the deal is with lodgers, am I right in thinking that they dont need to give a notice period, especially if there is no lease or contract? its not like hes got a deposit to worry about?

I realise now as I've written screeds, I could probably just have asked the question in the previous paragraph d got an answer, problem solved, I guess I just wanted his story out there so you guys could send some E-sympathy through the tubes of the internet, poor b*ggers had it bad the last week or so

Whole situation makes me glad im not flatsharing anymore.

poppysarah

The message should be heard by the police.

c00lbeans

poppysarah wrote: »

The message should be heard by the police.

Thanks poppy, I've told him that, hes still worried that they will be able to go to the courts and pursue him for some "mythical" rent, like I said a little naive, I'm going to do my best to get him to go to the fuzz with the message.

jockosjungle

As I've said to others, do not be afraid of 'the courts' - they are reasonable and are not a conduit to continue criminal threats.

For starters if they did take him to court, by some miracle manage to convince them that he owed money, why would they write to his work? If they've no contract and he moved out and paid up his rent what are they going to say in the court? Especially when he plays the message out?

Maybe your friend should phone the landlord and explain the situation, explain that he is not being threatened by them and to leave him alone. Is he any more reasonable than the flatmate?

Consider seriously going to the police.

Planner

His occupation status - lodger or tenant will depend on who the landlord is. Is the landlord the 'family member' that lives there or does the landlord live else where?

IF the landlord lives elswhere, is he aware you live there? and do you pay rent directly to the landlord that lives elsewhere or to the 'family member'?

c00lbeans

Apparantly the Landlord lives elsewhere and his rent goes to them via standing order, the family member (a son I think) lives in the flat.

Ah I guess this makes him a tenant, since the landlord lives elsewhere.

Slowly my time spent lurking on here is starting to filter into the brain

System

It sounds like the house should be classed as an HMO as well