Curious Tenant Wants to Know......

tubie22

Hi Everyone!

Relatively new here and looking for plain and simple advice, so please refrain from sarcastic/rude/unhelpful/pointless answers.

i am currently renting a university managed property and rent is taken in 3 instalments to coincide with student loans; they basically want to make sure you can pay your rent on time. The next instalment is due 19th April.

I noticed on this website that whether you pay your rent late or not at all can now be put on your credit report for future employers, landlords etc to see.

What i was wondering was, as it says that it was announced in March 2012 that this could be done, does it still include contracts that were signed last year (July 2011)?
Also, does it have to state in your contract that your landlord will supply how you paid, or didn't pay, your rent to credit report companies, or can they do this without your consent/knowledge?

Thanks!

recession

Regarding the credit report, this will be a CCJ. However to get a CCJ is a fairly long winded approach and will involve the university (or landlord) submitting the relevant forms to court.

Not sure how your university housing department works, but the university near me treats rent arrears the same as any other arrears (i.e library fines or student court fees). Whereby unless you pay these you will not be able to graduate or obtain your certification.

BitterAndTwisted

It seems perfectly sensible to me for the Uni to charge their tenants rent payments to coincide with their student loans or the money would be going straight to the local pub's tills. This is an especial risk when dealing with young people who have never had to manage reasonably large sums of money or budget for themselves before.

In order for unpaid rent to turn up on your credit-files they need to go to court and get a CCJ against you and then you decline to pay within the prescribed time-frame. That would not be a laughing matter but neither is the consequence of the Uni declining to let you graduate until you've coughed up what is rightfully owed.

tubie22

Thanks, I am actually due to leave university after this year (2nd year) due to reasons at home so I won't actually be getting my degree this time round, although i am continuing university next year.

I am not planning on not paying my rent, I just wanted to know if not paying it would go on my credit report even though nothing to do with credit reports is mentioned in my contract. Are they (landlord/university) allowed to give my rent payment information to credit companies if its not in my contract that they will do so?

Thanks again

GAH

If you don't pay your rent it is upto the university whether they want to pursue you for it. If they pursue you through the courts by way of a CCJ, this is the only time it will show up on your credit file.

BitterAndTwisted

Any person or organisation who you give as a reference to another offering you credit would be able to find out whether you have honoured your contractual obligations or not. Otherwise they wouldn't have any way of knowing unless you'd acquired a nice CCJ for yourself.