Guest in shared accommodation

rickdews

Hi,
I live in a shared flat with another couple in one room and a single guy in the other.

Recently my girlfriend has been staying with me in my room, and we want to stay together before moving in together.

The single guy is happy to have her with me for as long as it takes but the other couple are complaining.

Given that it's shared accommodation and we all pay for our own rooms individually, am I legally entitled to have who I want with me?

I've offered to pay extra towards the shared bills and rent to take her presence into account.

If my partner stays, the other couple will be awkward, but I can deal with that.

McKneff

What in particular are the couple complaining about.

Mojisola

How are the bills paid? Will your GF be paying her share of the utilities, etc? Is that the kind of thing the couple are worried about?

googler

What tenancy agreement do you have (if any) with the owner of the accommodation?

Surely they'll have a say.

You can see the other couple's point of view, can't you. At the moment, they have four people fighting over one (?) bathroom in the morning, now, without them appearing to have any say-so, you want to have five people juggling the unchanged facilites between them. Same applies to all shared aspects - a five way share instead of four.

They signed up for their room on the basis they were sharing with two other singletons - how far does this go? Would you argue you have a 'legal right' to move your (for instance) ex-partner and two children in?

rickdews

The couple are complaining that they 'value comfort' more than an extra person.

It would be a temporary thing for a few more weeks, and my GF will contribute to shared utilities bills.

Mojisola

rickdews wrote: »

The couple are complaining that they 'value comfort' more than an extra person.

It would be a temporary thing for a few more weeks, and my GF will contribute to shared utilities bills.

It is their home as well as yours. If it's only for a few weeks, can't your GF carry on living where she is?

Fire_Fox

You are legally entitled to have a guest, that is not the same as having someone move into the property. You may need the landlord's consent and it is courtesy not to ride roughshod over your housemates. Of course if your girlfriend doesn't use any part of the house except your bedroom and the toilet there is no issue - but it's really irritating to have extra bodies clogging up the kitchen and bathroom.

RAS

it may also push the house into HMO territory???

MelaBella

well, its quite a resonable complain from your roommates, some people dont mind unexpected lodgeers in shared accomodation, some do. If the matter gets worse then they may complain to your landlord.
How long is your GF is going to stay for? What is written in your contract? If each room is on a seperate contract then its all down to negotiation with the landlord. if you are on a join contract renting the whole flat with ya roommates then you need to seek agreement from them

inmypocketnottheirs

I shared for 6 months in a HMO. A room that was previously let to a single was subsequently let as a double caused a major imbalance in the shared facilities as outlined in the posts above. In the agreement, however, it stated that guests could stay for no more than 2 nights in any two week period.

Does the LL live in, is there any agreement and is the property registered as a HMO?

dimbo61

The Landlord could get into trouble with the council if they find the property is overcrowded.
four people and one toilet/bathroom is OK
Five people and one toilet/bathroom is Overcrowding
Same with the size of the room!
10.5 m2 is classed as a double while less than 6.5m2 is too small for a single!
If you have more than 4 people living in a property you need 2 bathrooms, 2 cookers IE oven and microwave, sink and dishwasher or 2 sinks
Its not just a case of moving your G/F in as she is not on the tenancy agreement so can be evicted at any time