Problems with adding an extra housemate.

gildius

I've recently moved into a rented house in Bristol with 3 other roommates. There's a 5th guy who might shortly be getting a job in Bristol and will come and live with us (we have two extra bedrooms).

When we viewed the property we told the letting agent about the 5th guy and they said the total rent for the house would stay the same (so finding a 5th person was in our interest, to bring our own share of the rent down). But now the landlord is saying he wants to raise the rent when the 5th person arrives.

We chose the house because it was lovely - it's a bit more expensive than others we looked at, but we thought that getting a 5th person would solve that. I asked the letting agent to put in writing the guarantee that the rent would not be raised, but that is when the landlord got involved.

I'm not sure what to do - it feels like the letting agent was making promises the landlord can't keep. But we really need to get our share of the rent down, otherwise we'll have to move out at the end of our contract.

Does anybody have any advice?

19lottie82

it sounds like the LA was trying to make promises that they couldn't keep, without consulting the LL.

what the LL says goes, I'm afraid the LA have no authority to over rule him/her.

unless you have it in writing then there isn't much you can do I'm afraid.

The only thing I can suggest is that you talk to the LL directly and try to appeal to his better nature. If you explain that allowing an extra housemate may mean the difference between you stayiong or leaving at the end of your lease, this might sway him.

Will the extra body infringe any HMO rules?

tbs624

If the property is 3 or more storeys and will have 5 occupants then it becomes a licensable HMO. LL will have additional expense, and possibly need to make alterations to the property.

I asked the letting agent to put in writing the guarantee that the rent would not be raised, but that is when the landlord got involved.

The LA was at fault OP, it's not for the LA to say that x, y or z will apply if he has not discussed it with the LL, as lottie says above. The LL is always "involved" - it is his property and the LA merely acts for him, on his instructions.

gildius

Yes, that's more or less what I thought.

The house is only two storeys so I don't think it will be an HMO?

We are meeting the LL on Sunday - it's a good idea to suggest that we'll have to move out. It might just make the difference!

Thanks guys.

AMO

I was in the same situation. When I was at uni and got a placement, I was offered a box room in a house of 7 rooms. There were 6 girls in the other rooms and were told that the 7th room wouldn't be rent out.

I did not know this when I moved in. I got on okay with them.

It's common for landlords to lie through their teeth, but there's nothing you can do really. Your only small chance of being able to do something is if the agreement was in writing and you rented out the whole house as opposed to individual rooms. The weakness with that approach is that if one of the people leave, the landlord will still claim the other persons rent from the rest of you as you have rented the whole house.

HB58

Are bills included in the rent, or do you pay seperately? If bills are included then I can see your landlord's point! I guess it depends on how long you have to go until your contract ends, and what the letting market is like in your area, as to whether your landlord will be swayed by the fact that you would have to move out at the end of the fixed term if individual rents don't go down.

Maestro.

You can't charge more rent just because more people have moved in... but I suspect they know this and instead would use some other "reason" for raising the rent.

princeofpounds

You rent the whole house and it is the home of the 4 of you. What is to stop you having the guy as a 'guest', particularly if there is a spare room?

It's not especially ethical, and I wouldn't normally suggest something like this, but the agent also acted unethically. The agent is an official representative of the landlord and CAN make decisions on the LL's behalf - although they are only supposed to do so under instruction - but one who just didn't sign anything binding.

All the landlord could do it try to terminate your lease at the earliest opportunity if he finds out about it, but given that you might not want to live there anyway without a fifth occupant to share the burden it might not be an issue.

Bearing in mind you might not get a reference of course.

gildius

Good news!

We met the landlord and he was very friendly. We told him we would probably have to move out at the end of six months if the rent went up, so he agreed that it will stay the same for this six months, then he will raise it after that (but not by too much).

The fifth person has got the job, so will definitely be moving in. Looking forward to my share of the rent going down quite significantly in July.

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

PS: To HB58, the bills aren't included, which has probably helped our cause!