Cheap temporary rented accommodation as a 'guardian'

AlexMac

I've just bumped into an employee of an organisation called AdHoc (http://adhoc.eu/great-britain/) which rents at low cost to vetted, employed people as 'guardians'; to secure temporarily empty property for landlords. Not for everyone, as some properties are scruffy or have short-term or limited tenure; but my local Council uses them as a better option to tinning up empty, and they have contracts with public and private Landlords nationwide.

The guy I met (letting viewers into an auction property) sounded loyal and committed and said they started out of a Dutch squatting movement.

Seems worth publicising, and I can't see an obvious catch, but does anyone have experience?

NervousHomeowner

My partner's brother has been doing this for the past year as a student and he has enjoyed it a lot. He has been paying less in rent and has been living in a really lovely house.

The downside is that you can potentially be moved on quite quickly as you are only living there until the owner of the property can either sell it or rent it out, which obviously isn't ideal for a lot of people.

jamie11

I can't see this...........if somebody is renting to you then calling the agreement a licence carries no weight, it's going to be an AST no matter what's written on the top.

Errata

jamie11 wrote: »

I can't see this...........if somebody is renting to you then calling the agreement a licence carries no weight, it's going to be an AST no matter what's written on the top.

Even if it's a factory, office block or fire station?

agrinnall

On the BBC website yesterday:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23082912

jamie11

Errata wrote: »

Even if it's a factory, office block or fire station?

If they have an exclusive tenancy then I believe the answer is yes.

Whatever applies in other countries we are talking about England/Wales.

Errata

jamie11 wrote: »

If they have an exclusive tenancy then I believe the answer is yes.

Whatever applies in other countries we are talking about England/Wales.

Fair enough, suit yourself and remain in ignorance.

I_have_spoken

if somebody is renting to you then calling the agreement a licence carries no weight, it's going to be an AST no matter what's written on the top.

IIRC, the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 regulates what happens when peeps sign up for a contract that excludes terms implied by statute. The "reasonableness test" look at the bargaining power of the parties to the contract.

Do 'house sitters' get duped into thinking they are signing an AST or are they powerless to refuse signing? Probably not.

However, if they were asked to house-sit a death-trap and were injured, they could likely claim as the counter-party couldn't exclude a duty of care.

theGrinch

I think Camelot Protection are one of the biggest in the UK. And I think they or at least one founder had Dutch roots. I use to share a business office with them in the 1990s so "protection by occupation" is well established.

I know of one person that was part of a group that occupied a block of flats in London with council consent.

tim123456789

I_have_spoken wrote: »

IIRC, the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 regulates what happens when peeps sign up for a contract that excludes terms implied by statute. The "reasonableness test" look at the bargaining power of the parties to the contract.

Do 'house sitters' get duped into thinking they are signing an AST or are they powerless to refuse signing? Probably not.

If you are trying to argue that anyone can avoid giving someone an AST and give them a license instead, simply by making sure that the other party is aware that it's a license, then you are wrong.

There must be something specific about this particular rental class that makes it possible.

I don't know what that thing is, but I would be interested if anyone can explain

carefullycautious

This is how they get round the issue of tenancies



What are the costs involved?
When you choose to become a Guardian, you do not pay rent. You pay the Camelot monthly management fees. These fees often include all utility bills, and are on average one third of the going market prices for similar size properties/rooms in that area.

In the UK fees vary from £35 - £150 a week, depending on the room size and the location. Camelot also asks you to put down a fully refundable deposit from £350 with it increasing to £600 for London properties. Guardians are also required to purchase a fire pack and pay an admin fee before moving into a property. Due to each property being different, you will be informed of these fees when invited to a viewing.

In exchange we offer mostly large living spaces in great locations, for low cost. A good deal!

:T