Accommodation Rent troubles

wannabemedic

I've had an argument with a member of staff in the university accommodation office - I'm in halls of residence and for the academic year have to pay a total of £3160 in rent. Plus there's a £100 damage deposit when the contract was signed (get this back after moving out and inspected for damage).

The £100 cheque was sent, receipt given and cleared last Summer when I signed the contract.

So, that leaves £3160 to pay in rent.

However, my instalments add up to £3260:

Term 1 = £941.00
Term 2 = £1141.00
Term 3 = £1178.00

Total = £3260

I queried this as it's £100 more than I should be paying and am being told that "the deposit is in your final term instalment". However, I've already paid the deposit (by cheque when the contract was signed) they confirm this.

In other words, if I sit back and agree, I'll be paying the university £3260 through direct debit plus the £100 deposit cheque. When the £100 damage deposit is returned, I'll have paid them a total of £3260 which is still £100 more.

I've asked several friends to check this and they agree but there is one stubborn woman in the accommodation office :mad: who insists they are right and I am wrong. She accused me of trying to cheat them, and said that I was incapable of understanding 'simple invoicing'. I duly informed her that she was incapable of doing simple maths and I look forward to meeting her manager in the morning.

Hope my calculations make sense, any advice would really be appreciated! :j

melancholly

get all your paperwork together - including bank statements of cashed cheques and all correspondence that they've sent you (especially anything which they sent showing the £100 as paid).

accommodation offices aren't always the best (near me they cashed the cheque from a student coming over from abroad, then rang him 3 days before he was due to arrive and told him they didn't have a room - with some intervention they 'found' one the next day!)

perhaps go in with an 'i don't understand' appraoch, rather than a 'you're trying to steal £100' - they are, and you're entirely right, but they will get very defensive very quickly, especially if a few hundred other students are also entitled to their money!

if the same woman is funny with you, just say that you'll happily wait until someone more senior can come along and help - they may try to fob you off by saying no-one is available.

if it doesn't go well, march straight over to the students union and get someone there to help - maybe it's the welfare officer you need to speak to?

Blacksheep1979

I think its propbably a mistake - who has heard of paying a damage deposit 2/3 of the way through a contract? They propbably made a mistake and have made a few £k from it too - make sure you mention it to as many people in your halls as possible as I bet you aren't the only one and there is strength in numbers.

wannabemedic

Thanks both - before I had a chance to meet her manager, I received an email apologising for the fact that she'd "overlooked" the £100 deposit.

yeah, that's what I was trying to hammer into your thick skull for half an hour, dumb !!!!

I'm going to drop by the student newspaper offices as the final edition is currently in production. Now that will get word around

Thanks again appreciate your help! :beer: