Troubles with other tenants

kiss_me_now9

Not sure where I stand on this one... or if I'll just have to grin and bear it!

I'm currently living in a privately rented student house with four International students, they don't speak very much English at all so already I feel pretty lonely and isolated when I get home but that's not really a problem; I can cope. I was meant to be living with four British girls who I vaguely knew but that's by the by.

The main problem is the communal areas... I am not the tidiest person around but I do try my hardest to clean up after myself in the kitchen/bathroom and do my washing up if I leave it down stairs (normally keep it in my room until the fancy takes me - and as it's only me eating/cooking it's not normally much, pretty much one bowl, one mug, and two plates a day). Yes, my bedroom is often a bit of state but I do tidy it at least twice a week, it just seems that overnight all my stuff magically gravitates back onto the floor again But again that's a little irrelevant.

I have a massive list of my problems with them, but the main summary points are:
- The kitchen is an absolute state, there are mushrooms on the floor where they've dropped them from cooking a few days ago, a rice boiler that's not been cleaned out since last weekend on the side, the sink is regularly filled with bits of food because they just wash their left overs off into the sink and leave it :eek: I walked downstairs on Monday with the full intention of doing some washing up before lectures and nearly threw up when I saw the amount of crap in the sink. A little bit left in the plug hole/sink strainer I can cope with - but this was literally about an inch thick all over the sink of food waste

- They don't lock the front door, back door and often leave the kitchen window wide open, which is an old fashioned single glazed window that opens really wide and is more than big enough to fit a grown man through. This is the bit that really bothers me because the kitchen is really easily accessible from our side gate and our side gate backs onto an alleyway; meaning any shady sort could walk straight in, through the window, steal everything or worse and just walk back out again and get away really quickly without anyone seeing him. Further more to this, they have set up a gaming station (on the only table in the kitchen diner :wall: so there's nowhere to sit and eat) in plain view of the side gate so there's an incentive of about a grands worth of kit to nick!

I'm considering talking to my letting agent about this but I don't know if they'll just laugh at me...

Be gentle, it's my first time ever living in private accommodation

BitterAndTwisted

The first thing you need to do is to ensure that your own room and valuables are locked and secure.

Then, try to talk to your co-tenants about their habits, even going through an interpreter if necessary. I'd be minded to write a list and leave it pinned up in the kitchen. As for this gaming-station thingy, I'd just disconnect it and leave it on the floor.

Failing their cooperation there is little that can be done. The agent might be willing to have an informal chart with them but don't hold your breath.

kk20

Are they on your tenancy agreement? If so, good luck getting your deposit back when you leave (if they leave/destroy the place).

G_M

What kind of tenancy do you have? Is it a single tenancy ('joint and several') which you all signed, or do you each have separate agreements?

House shares are always contentious. To work, each side has to give and take. Where they break down it is because one side is taking and not giving. Sounds like that here.

The best solution is always communication and agreement on a way forward. Hard I know with strangers, esp with a language barrier AND cultural differences, but "We need to have a conversation about the house" is a vital first step.

Try using your 'Britishness' to advantage - they are in a foreign country and so will be aware they don't know the rules. Act firmly to teach them the basics of normal behavior in a house-share.

Some International students (not all) come from rich, spoilt backgrounds (international fees are expensive!) and they may be used to maids etc cleaning up after them.

If nothing else works you may have to talk to the landlord/agent about the poosibility of surrendering your lease early and finding somewhere else to live, but depending what you've signed you'll almost certainly need their agreement for this.

poppysarah

Ask them if they think there should be a cleaner or they should do it (and get one to come in and do the cleaning and get them to pay)

Locking up is urgent. They need to be aware of how important this is. Point out their insurance is invalid if the windows are left open

kiss_me_now9

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

The first thing you need to do is to ensure that your own room and valuables are locked and secure.

Then, try to talk to your co-tenants about their habits, even going through an interpreter if necessary. I'd be minded to write a list and leave it pinned up in the kitchen. As for this gaming-station thingy, I'd just disconnect it and leave it on the floor.

Failing their cooperation there is little that can be done. The agent might be willing to have an informal chart with them but don't hold your breath.

I have been lacking recently in locking my door but now I will try to remember too, I don't leave anything other than kitchen stuff in the communal areas so that's ok. Thanks

kk20 wrote: »

Are they on your tenancy agreement? If so, good luck getting your deposit back when you leave (if they leave/destroy the place).

I'm not entirely sure... I think they are BUT I don't know if they paid a deposit. I do know that they paid the entire years rent up front - which is why if anyone's going, it's going to be me! I'm quite friendly with my landlord and he has said before that as long as my areas are tidy and I make an effort to tidy up the kitchen he's not going to be too annoyed - he wasn't particularly happy about having them I think

G_M wrote: »

What kind of tenancy do you have? Is it a single tenancy ('joint and several') which you all signed, or do you each have separate agreements?

House shares are always contentious. To work, each side has to give and take. Where they break down it is because one side is taking and not giving. Sounds like that here.

The best solution is always communication and agreement on a way forward. Hard I know with strangers, esp with a language barrier AND cultural differences, but "We need to have a conversation about the house" is a vital first step.

Try using your 'Britishness' to advantage - they are in a foreign country and so will be aware they don't know the rules. Act firmly to teach them the basics of normal behavior in a house-share.

Some International students (not all) come from rich, spoilt backgrounds (international fees are expensive!) and they may be used to maids etc cleaning up after them.

If nothing else works you may have to talk to the landlord/agent about the poosibility of surrendering your lease early and finding somewhere else to live, but depending what you've signed you'll almost certainly need their agreement for this.

I've applied for a place back in halls but the woman looked at me as if I was crazy when I gave her my reasons; there's a massive waiting list as my uni town is literally tiny and there's not enough accommodation.

I like your idea of using my Britishness to my advantage but they're all third year students and have lived in halls and a private house last year already - surely they should know by now!?

evoke

Can't the landlord/letting agent formulate a set of 'house rules' that must be abided by? It can't be doing the OP much good in her studies if she's stressed out about the state of the home she shares with other people. Education is too important to let things like this chip away at you obtaining your fullest potential in your studies. Have a word with friends and family and also talk to your letting agent. The letting agent ought to be laying down basic house rules for all the residents.

poppysarah

kiss_me_now9 wrote: »

I like your idea of using my Britishness to my advantage but they're all third year students and have lived in halls and a private house last year already - surely they should know by now!?

No some people are dirty slobs cos no one has ever pointed it out to them as unacceptable behaviour.

kiss_me_now9

evoke wrote: »

Can't the landlord/letting agent formulate a set of 'house rules' that must be abided by? It can't be doing the OP much good in her studies if she's stressed out about the state of the home she shares with other people. Education is too important to let things like this chip away at you obtaining your fullest potential in your studies. Have a word with friends and family and also talk to your letting agent. The letting agent ought to be laying down basic house rules for all the residents.

TBH my studies are going down the pan atm anyway I know some of the little things I shouldn't get stressed over but it's hard enough getting out of bed most mornings and when I'm stressed any way every little thing becomes a massive problem!

Poppy, apparently so. I think if my parents saw the state of this place they'd have a heart attack...

Laconic

I know what you mean. I'm a mature student and moving in to a house-share after 10 years of working professionally is a bit of a culture shock, to put it mildly. We have a rota system that works reasonably well, though at times folks need reminding.

Now you say that you're very stressed and finding it tough to get out of bed. I'll tell you this: in 20 weeks, you will never have the problem of these particular housemates again. However, you'll have the results that you achieve in school forever, and if you've any debt, it'll be yours to pay off whatever your results or prospects. I strongly recommend you talk to someone to help you set your priorities in better order and beginning to work on a way to keep the small things small -- it's tough, but you need to remember why you chose to come to uni.

Hang in there and good luck getting back on track!

ceegee

That all sounds awful. Poor you.:(

Can you speak to the Student Housing Department at University? It is my understanding that they can advise re private rented accommodation and not just Halls.

I really, really would speak to them as soon as possible. They may be able to sort these dirty slobs out.