Recently Started Renting

Fire_Fox

Are you a permitted occupant or are you going to be added to the tenancy agreement? If not your friend may be illegally subletting. Nobody should be profiting from charging you for bills, [STRIKE]possibly they should be doing a tax return and paying income tax on the money - there is the 'Rent a Room Scheme' but the amount you are being charged is in excess of that. [/STRIKE]Note that if you are classed as a lodger you need your own TV license for a TV in your room, see the TV licensing website. If you are a tenant being added to the AST you do not.

You can check the council tax band online to see what the full cost is for the house without telling your housemates. If that doesn't cover a decent wedge of the bills, why don't you have a house meeting and say that the bills are quite expensive? You'd be happy to take charge of switching suppliers and researching ways to save money? [STRIKE]Also you'd be happy to take responsibility for paying some of the bills so that you learn to manage money, and so that the other tenants don't have the hassle of registering for income tax and completing a tax return[/STRIKE]?

Basically you could sell this to your housemates in a way that they cannot refuse without seeming unreasonable. There are loads of articles on the main part of MSE on how to check you are getting the best deal on bills. Were the meters read when you moved in? This needs doing to make your share of the bills fair.

ETA Strike through because I misread the amounts in the OP.

BitterAndTwisted

One of the main benefits of being either a sub-letter, a permitted occupant or even there unofficially is that none of the bills are in the OP's name, so if the other two don't take care of them the OP can't be chased for payment. I wouldn't offer to have any of the bills put in my name. It sounds like the other two are seeing quite enough money from the OP to be able afford them.

The only question which needs to be answered is whether that £275 a month was inclusive of bills or not. It appears that the true answer may be "Yes, until that water bill came in which we don't want to pay between just the two of us".

Fire_Fox

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

One of the main benefits of being either a sub-letter, a permitted occupant or even there unofficially is that none of the bills are in the OP's name, so if the other two don't take care of them the OP can't be chased for payment. I wouldn't offer to have any of the bills put in my name. It sounds like the other two are seeing quite enough money from the OP to be able afford them.

The only question which needs to be answered is whether that £275 a month was inclusive of bills or not. It appears that the true answer may be "Yes, until that water bill came in which we don't want to pay between just the two of us".

It's all a bit dodgy IMO, lodgers are not charged an amount for rent and a separate amount for bills: they are charged one all inclusive amount. Now that the other tenants have decided to charge a separate amount for bills my understanding is they should not be profiting from that, although I hope someone with more knowledge will confirm or deny.

Just realised I have misread the OP - thought they were paying £550 including all bills.

BitterAndTwisted

When I've had a lodger in the past they paid me X amount a month in rent plus a 50% share of the bills when they came in.

I agree that the other two shouldn't be profiting but I'm sure they are or why bother having someone else in there at all? But making a profit or not by having a third party to share the bills is neither here nor there IMO. What matters is whether they all agreed between them that the OP's £275 a month was inclusive of bills or not. It appears that the OP thought it was inclusive and now it's inclusive plus a third of the water bill. I suspect when the winter heating bill comes in it may be plus that as well.

PasturesNew

I'd not think £275/month for three individuals in a house is that far off the mark. Heating, lighting, oven might be on 3x a night, washing machine loads might be smaller/more frequent, TV license, telephone line, broadband account.

Personally, I live frugally and don't turn lights on and always have full washing loads etc.... but most sharers wouldn't be like me (tight).

PasturesNew

Fire_Fox wrote: »

It's all a bit dodgy IMO, lodgers are not charged an amount for rent and a separate amount for bills: they are charged one all inclusive amount.

Not always. There are two reasons lodgers might be charged a separate portion of the bill:
1] To make them mindful of waste and cost.
2] Because the LL's trying to get round the Rent a Room limit.... but I think (can't provide a link) that this isn't legitimate/legal and the full amount (rent and bills) counts towards the tax free amount, so they can't 'get round it' by charging separately.... but I've no link/proof of that.

PasturesNew

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Note that if you are classed as a lodger you need your own TV license for a TV in your room, see the TV licensing website.

I thought you'd only need a license if you have a lock on your door.

ILW

Should the friend not be making a profit?

Fire_Fox

PasturesNew wrote: »

I thought you'd only need a license if you have a lock on your door.

So did I until a few weeks ago when a live in landlord posted about having a chat with TV Licensing who apparently insisted lodgers (exceptions based on relationship with owner but not on non-lockable door) need a separate license and I read their website! It seems TV licensing have a slightly different definition of a separate household to other agencies. Apparently the term 'tenancy agreement' also covers lodger agreements so IMO the site is ambiguous. I guess it's down to the lodger having exclusive use of a given area.

"You must be covered by a valid TV Licence to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV if you’re a tenant or lodger. This includes the use of devices such as a TV, computer, mobile phone, games console, digital box and DVD/VHS recorder ... If you have a separate tenancy agreement for your room Each tenant needs their own TV Licence if they watch or record TV. This licence will also cover the communal areas."
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/for-your-home/tenants-and-lodgers-aud2/

"I'm a lodger - do I need a TV Licence?

If you are a lodger and you have a separate tenancy agreement for your room you need your own TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes as they are being shown on TV. This TV Licence will also cover the communal areas. You can buy a TV Licence online."
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ51/


"Terms and Conditions
What does your licence not cover?

• Any parts of your premises with separate legal arrangements e.g. occupied by tenants or lodgers."

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/terms-and-conditions-TOP11/