Owed money by a friend / housemate

ritchieS

My housemate who is also a good friend owes me about £300. It started off when I paid some of the deposit for the house when we moved in, he never paid this back. Then bills and food shopping got added to the dept and now it's built up to over £300.

He promised he would pay it back to me before I went away travelling in November. It's now 4 months until I go and I can't see how he can pay this back in this time. I don't know how to ask for it back as I earn a lot more money than him but this money would still be really useful for me to have.

Justie

you have to bite the bullet and ask him straight how he intends to pay it back - £75 a month for the next 4 months isn't impossible. Or at least get in place that he'll pay you half that for 8 months or something - if he will set it up direct from his bank then it'll save you both having to do the awkward cash thing

melancholly

get something in writing from him stating exactly why he owes you and get him to sign it. i've recently been entirely ripped off by a housemate who we all thought was a friend - they had some financial problems, we covered some bills, then they disappeared. in total, 3 of us are owed about £450.

will you be moving out when you go travelling? if so, make sure you get paid back the amount you paid for the deposit by the landlord - and that way your friend doesn't have to find the money from somewhere else.