moving out before end of contract, advice please?

brokeinlondon

Thanks all for your responses, particularly G_M and Bitter

I guess it does look as though I'm trying to find a way out of paying this rent, but I have never avoided my responsibilities before (unless £5 for cleaning supplies at a previous flatshare counts?!)

I really was going to pay the rent up until April 17th, but then I discovered through my own investigative work (i.e. searching on the flatmates website that I found her on last year) that she was advertising the room as available 30th March. If she'd told me this before she put the ad up, then I wouldn't have been so upset by it. Then with the overcharging, it just feels as though she's been trying to get one over ever since I gave notice, and it doesn't make me want to pay up!

I will speak to her about it and will hopefully be able to resolve this.

brokeinlondon

well i spoke to her about and now i'm being accused of being threatening and apparently she doesn't feel safe!!!

honestly, i haven't said anything to make her feel that way, only questioned why she was advertising the room from that date, and i said that if she rented the room out before 17th April, shouldn't i get a refund. she was really offended by me asking that, and now she's accusing me of all sorts of things!

i really think she's got a screw loose.

i am out there as soon as possible i.e. tonight! she might do me an injury otherwise.

if anyone ever views a room in Croydon and there's a skinny blonde landlady with sallow skin, please please PLEASE do not take it, for the sake of your sanity!!!

G_M

I have to be honest: if a (skinny blond/whatever) landlady posted a thread here saying her lodger was being threatening and had accused her of cheating him, I (and probobly most here) would as like as not advise her to get him out asap. Like today/tomorrow if she really felt threatened in her own home.

In fact we've had cases like that here.

Now, I'm not saying this is what's happening here. You sound perfectly rational/hard-done-by and she sounds cranky. But then we're only hearing one side. I'm sure she'd describe things differently.

Best advice is to avoid further confrontation, move as soon as practicable, and stop handing over rent.

brokeinlondon

well i didn't really accuse her of cheating me, i said that i thought i should get a refund if she let the room out before the end of my contract, and she threw a wobbly. her response wasn't even reasonable, she just went off on one.

best of all, it was in text rather than over the phone, so i have some kind of evidence to prove what was said. i also think i have some kind of evidence to show that i'm the one who should be bloody scared! i've barely been able to get any work done this afternoon because i'm so stunned.

i would post our conversation on here but not sure where that stands legally...

of course she will now tell everyone that I'M the mad one.

will be speaking to CAB about my deposit, although i doubt i will get anything back.

climbgirl

brokeinlondon wrote: »

best of all, it was in text rather than over the phone, so i have some kind of evidence to prove what was said.

Evidence for whom? Are you going to the police over this?!

I think you're spending too much time and aggrevation worrying about this - you're legally contracted to pay until the 17th April (which you are) and have agreed with the landlord that you'll leave early.

If she rents the room earlier, she should really be giving you the two weeks back rather than keeping double rent for herself (from a purely moral viewpoint!). But you've requested this of her and she's not reacted well to it by your account. The only option you have is to stay in the room (or tell her you're staying and leave stuff there) until the 17th April. But given the breakdown in relations, it doesn't sound like a good option!

You have to remember you've requested that you leave the contract early and she has accomodated that. She's not legally obliged to do so. If it's as bad you as you suggest, just take your stuff and move on. You're not losing any money here, you're contracted until the 17th April.

brokeinlondon

i haven't requested to leave the contract early. i'm leaving the room early and have agreed to pay up until end of contract!!!

i mean evidence for other people, not really worth going to the police...

i'm not giving her a penny now as i'm basically now being forced to leave, plus she has no intention of refunding me if she were to let the room out early...

frankly, she can *insert lots of expletives here*

brokeinlondon

she has been difficult from the get-go, even trying to get me to stay until april 30th. not in the mood for her temper tantrums anymore.

in fact, i think i'm having one myself

BitterAndTwisted

She sounds like a right cow and was most probably itching for a disagreement so she could ask you to leave right away and still hold onto your money. Be every wary of "being accused of being threatening and apparently she doesn't feel safe!!!" because as you're a lodger rather than a tenant with absolutely no security of tenure she could ask you to leave immediately and could call the police to witness you going. They'd almost certainly take the householder's/female's word for it against yours. I think you're wise to get the hell out of there asap

G_M

Oh dear! You did this by text! Do people not understand how to communicate anymore?!!

Text is a terrible way to discuss sensitive issues, like the one you have here. It really doesn't surprise me that she responded badly to a text - I don't know how you worded it but essentially accusing her of cheating over the rent..... surprise! she got upset!

climbgirl

brokeinlondon wrote: »

i haven't requested to leave the contract early. i'm leaving the room early and have agreed to pay up until end of contract!!!

I understand that, I did say that in my post.

The thing is, she's not cheating you personally out of any money here. You are legally obliged to pay until the 17th (which you are doing). You've agreed that you will leave early and that you don't want the room for those two weeks from March 30.

She's not really playing by the rules by getting double rent for those two weeks (which to be fair to her, she hasn't actually done yet - she's only advertised it as being available from that date, not confirmed anyone to move in).

But the point is, you're not losing any money by her doing that, you'd have to pay it anyway. Yes it would be nice not to have to pay those two weeks and if you can negotiate this kind of thing with the landlord and a new lodger and everyone's happy, great! I've done this in the past and it worked for everyone concerned.

You've tried negotiating (although as G_M says, doing it by text is not the most effective way of doing that!), but it hasn't worked. So just move out as planned and start afresh. It's becoming a lot more stressful than it needs to be. The only other option is to stay in the room until the 17th, which you've paid for. But it doesn't sound like a place you want to stay!