Tenancy Help!!

Wolverine9

I would love some advice....11 months ago I began renting a room with another tenant in a house as the owner/landlord was going to Italy to work for a year or maybe 2.....we never signed a contract and I just paid a set amount every month....the other girl did not have a contract either....it was discussed that it would be ongoing until his contract finished but he didn't know when.....4 months ago the other girl moved out and he asked me to find a replacement...I did and she started paying money for the room.......2 months later he said he was putting the house on the market and we would have to leave if it sold....the girl decided to leave and I was left....the house is on the market but has not sold.....the house is always kept to a high standard and there's been no damage to anything....the landlord is now saying that I have 2 weeks to leave and that he will be coming to stay....occasionally before it sells....he stayed last week and made me feel like crap and was very uncomfortable.....can he do this??

Stevie_Palimo

I'm pretty sure your rights are few and far between when renting a room as opposed to house but someone with more than knowledge than me will confirm this, I would say it that you should look at finding elsewhere asap.

theartfullodger

If the landlord is found to have moved to another, different, principal private resident he will be a "non-resident" landlord and the tenancy (verbal but still valid) an AST and he can only evict after notice, court possession order, bailiffs etc.. And even if the place is sold to people desperately needing to live there, tough, tenancy continues with new owners merely new landlord.

But he would argue he didn't move thus.


Call Shelter 0808 800 4444.

btw there may be a tax-issue for both tenants & landlord with him living abroad.

thesaint

The landlord is perfectly entitled to stay. If he makes you feel "uncomfortable", so be it.

Find somewhere else to live asap.

Guest101

The LL may be entitled to stay.

OP did you move in with the other girl originally, or was she already there?

Either way. You dont have to leave with-in two weeks, as this clearly was a tenancy, not a lodger situation.

Did you pay a deposit?

The LL could be over a barrel.

Rambosmum

Basically it depends on whether you are deemed as a tenant or a lodger.

Has the landlord ever lived with you or did you move in after the landlord had left?

A tenancy agreement is still legal even if not written down.

Call Shelter. But you'll need to establish if you are a tenant or a lodger.

G_M

It is unclear if this is a tenancy or if you are an 'excluded occupier'.

We need more detail on the arrangement, and what was said/agreed at the start:

Wolverine9 wrote: »

......11 months ago I began renting a room with another tenant in a house as the owner/landlord was going to Italy to work for a year or maybe 2.....
So did you have access to the whole property?
Did the owner/LL 'move out'? Leave his personal stuff or remove it/ Or box it up?
The issue is whether this property remained his main residence, or he lived elsewhere (Italy).
we never signed a contract and I just paid a set amount every month....the other girl did not have a contract either....
Did you each pay seperately? Was this a single rent which you shared, or 2 seperate rents?
it was discussed that it would be ongoing until his contract finished but he didn't know when
you mean his 1 or 2 year contract in Italy?
.....4 months ago the other girl moved out and he asked me to find a replacement...I did
why?
Was there a gap between these 2 people? Did you pay for both rooms during the gap (full rent) or just continue to pay your own share/rent?
and she started paying money for the room
started paying who? You or the owner/LL?
.......2 months later he said he was putting the house on the market and we would have to leave if it sold....the girl decided to leave and I was left...
paying what? Same as always or now pay for the other girl's share too?
.the house is on the market but has not sold.
During this period, wheere was/is the LL? Still in Italy?
Do you have an address for him? Where? Is it his 'home'?
Has he ever stayed over in the house with you?
.....the landlord is now saying that I have 2 weeks to leave
'saying' how? verbal face-to-face? Telephone? email? letter?

and that he will be coming to stay....occasionally before it sells...
is/will this be the first time he stays in the last 11(longer?) months?
.he stayed last week and made me feel like crap
Ah! Pity. Better if you'd refused to let him - ie changed the locks.....
and was very uncomfortable.....can he do this??

Any deposit paid?
Registered in a scheme?