Student Housing Problem (SOS!)

hafcly

The situation started in February, I was re-sitting university and I signed a contract for a 4 bedroom house with three of my at the time housemates. They sent us guarantor forms to send to our parents and return to the office, I did this but they did not receive them and did not bother telling me this until I rang them this month.

I found out I failed this year and can not proceed onto next year so I am having to move back home. Due to the fact I can no longer claim student finance I can not afford to pay for the house in no way shape or form and as I have no guarantor they have threatened me with CCJ's.

The letting agency has also said that because it is a joint tenancy the rent that I cannot pay will have to be made up by the other three tenants before anyone can move in (move in date 1st July) which understandable places immense pressure on myself.

I have worked tirelessly for the past three days (since i found out i had failed) to find a replacement tenant, but there is only so much i can do.

Because of my situation nobody is willing to be my guarantor, so even if i could afford to pay the rent (which i 1000% cant) I wouldn't even be able to move in because of the absent guarantor!

I am really struggling here, I cannot pay for the rent, there is no guarantor to cover my liability, the letting agent isn't budging on this and have threatened me with CCJ's and I've hit a massive low.

The term trying to get blood out of a stone plays it's part here, not only am i having to deal with the life changing results from university, i have to deal with this. I just want to cut all ties with this place and move back home, I'm only 19!

My questions are,

Is there any way out of this?
What is the worst that can happen to me as i'm unable to pay?
Why is nothing bloody simple?

Thanks I appreciate any help

ghostmadlittlemiss

Have the university said why you can't go on to the next year? If it's because of failed modules, could you explain the situation to them and see if they'll let you re-write any assessments over the summer? Hopefully, someone will come along soon who can help with the financial side of things but believe me, screwing up uni is my specialist subject so you have my full sympathies there.
Kayleigh

mildredalien

So your parents did not receive the form or didn't send it on? Are they not willing to cover the rent now given that it sounds like it was their mistake in the first place? Not all parents are able to support children through university but there is a general assumption that they will.

Could you take out a small loan to pay off the rent? I assume once you move home you will be looking for a job. Obviously you need to think carefully about this since if you can't afford to pay back the loan that would be another round of trouble, but if it would buy you a bit of time and get the rental agencies off your back it might be an idea. Again, are your parents willing to help with this until you get on your feet?

I think the agency are having you on saying that they can't get anyone else to move in until you pay the rent by the way - they won't want an empty property. They are probably trying scare tactics with talk of a CCJ but it is possible if you owe a lot. If you paid a deposit they can recover some of their lost rent through that. Are your housemates also moving out? Unfortunately they will be liable as you signed a joint tenancy.

A few questions to clarify - did you already get your student finance for this year? When did it end? Did you set aside enough to pay for your rent throughout the year? Aren't student loans set to coincide with the student year? When was your tenancy contract signed to/from? How much do you actually owe in rent?

hafcly

mildredalien wrote: »

So your parents did not receive the form or didn't send it on? Are they not willing to cover the rent now given that it sounds like it was their mistake in the first place? Not all parents are able to support children through university but there is a general assumption that they will.

Could you take out a small loan to pay off the rent? I assume once you move home you will be looking for a job. Obviously you need to think carefully about this since if you can't afford to pay back the loan that would be another round of trouble, but if it would buy you a bit of time and get the rental agencies off your back it might be an idea. Again, are your parents willing to help with this until you get on your feet?

I think the agency are having you on saying that they can't get anyone else to move in until you pay the rent by the way - they won't want an empty property. They are probably trying scare tactics with talk of a CCJ but it is possible if you owe a lot. If you paid a deposit they can recover some of their lost rent through that. Are your housemates also moving out? Unfortunately they will be liable as you signed a joint tenancy.

A few questions to clarify - did you already get your student finance for this year? When did it end? Did you set aside enough to pay for your rent throughout the year? Aren't student loans set to coincide with the student year? When was your tenancy contract signed to/from? How much do you actually owe in rent?

My parents did fill out the forms and send it on, but the agents never received it for whatever reason. My parents cannot afford to pay the rent as they are current renovating a house.

My other housemates are supposed to move in on the 1st, but the letting agency are saying nobody will be allowed the keys until all of the first quarters rent is paid in full. Surely this is illegal as they are denying tenancy by denying the handover the keys after they have accepted part rent from the other tenants?

Answers to your questions...
did you already get your student finance for this year? No
When did it end? Earlier this year (it was used to pay rent of my current house
Did you set aside enough to pay for your rent throughout the year? I was reliant upon the student loan to cover the rent
When was your tenancy contract signed to/from? 1st July to 30th June 2013
How much do you actually owe in rent? £3325.40 is my share

mrsb83_2

Go to CAB. This isn't an unusual problem, although I am sure that it is stressful.

You need legal advice and assistance. Tell them it's a housing problem and you should be able to get an urgent appointment. Much depends on the specifics of your tenancy agreement.

You may also qualify for free legal advice from a Housing Law solicitor - check out the Law Society website where you can search for someone local.

molerat

The guarantor situation is a red herring. If the forms had been received by the agent then your parents would have been held responsible for the rent whether they could afford or not it and it would have been them getting debt collectors calling or heading for a CCJ. Lucky escape for them.

RAS

Go to your Student Welfare or Student Housing Officer in the Union and they will be able to advise you.

mildredalien

Ah I see, so you signed a lease for the coming year and now can't afford to keep to it? So the £3325 is the upcoming year's rent?

Hmm sounds like the agency are trying to scare you - surely it can't be that hard for them to find another person to take over your tenancy?! Did you sign up to paying rent on a quarterly basis rather than monthly? Have you checked gumtree etc. for people looking for rooms to rent?

I'd suggest going to your student advisor and/or CAB, they should be able to advise where you stand. Ultimately if you can't afford to pay and have no guarantor, they will try and get the money back off you somehow. Whether a court would make a 19 year old unemployed student repay over £3k is debatable, even if they do you can generally arrange to pay in instalments that you can afford once you prove your income (or lack thereof).

hafcly

mildredalien wrote: »

Ah I see, so you signed a lease for the coming year and now can't afford to keep to it? So the £3325 is the upcoming year's rent?

Hmm sounds like the agency are trying to scare you - surely it can't be that hard for them to find another person to take over your tenancy?! Did you sign up to paying rent on a quarterly basis rather than monthly? Have you checked gumtree etc. for people looking for rooms to rent?

I'd suggest going to your student advisor and/or CAB, they should be able to advise where you stand. Ultimately if you can't afford to pay and have no guarantor, they will try and get the money back off you somehow. Whether a court would make a 19 year old unemployed student repay over £3k is debatable, even if they do you can generally arrange to pay in instalments that you can afford once you prove your income (or lack thereof).

I appreciate everyone's advice on the matter.

The current situation is that I have found a replacement tenant, he is a first year which means that he will not receive his student loan until september, although he can sign for the property, pay the deposit & signing fee as well as sign the guarantor forms. The letting agents are still being a pain in the backside stating that even that this is the case nobody can move in until all the rent has been paid.

It is in the best interest of the landlord to be flexible on this as his only two options are to take this new tenant and wait a couple of months for the quarterly payment, or to pay to take me to court (a 19 year old unemployed student with no money)

I am aiming for a career in the police force so having a CCJ filed against me would be disastrous!

blisteringblue

You have done more than enough to sort this. There should be some flexibility on their behalf. Student letting is always like this. They will get 3/4 of the 1st rent now and the remainder in Sept ! It's all from student loans anyway so I can't see what the issue is.

The fact they also always force these guarantor forms down your throats always bugs me too. My daughter has already dropped out once at Xmas, only to return to another uni the next year saying she wants to live at home. Perfect, I thought, but now start of year 2 she want to live in and expects me to guarantee it again !! Not a chance time for one of lifes lessons !! Once bitten and all that.

Hope you sort it out

hafcly

blisteringblue wrote: »

You have done more than enough to sort this. There should be some flexibility on their behalf. Student letting is always like this. They will get 3/4 of the 1st rent now and the remainder in Sept ! It's all from student loans anyway so I can't see what the issue is.

The fact they also always force these guarantor forms down your throats always bugs me too. My daughter has already dropped out once at Xmas, only to return to another uni the next year saying she wants to live at home. Perfect, I thought, but now start of year 2 she want to live in and expects me to guarantee it again !! Not a chance time for one of lifes lessons !! Once bitten and all that.

Hope you sort it out

Exactly, they keep saying that it states in the contract that nobody can move in until all rents have been paid. I've read the contract a few times now and I can find nothing that states that!

The replacement tenant is viewing the house tomorrow and i'm 90% certain he will sign for it. If he does I'm going to be the happiest man on the planet! All i want to do is cut all ties with this place now and move back home.