Joint bills with housemates

astro14

Hi moneysavers,

I am currently renting in a houseshare. The bills are jointly in all four of our names and we each independently pay a quarter of each bill when it comes through. However, one of my housemates always forgets to pay their share of the bill. They always pay it eventually, but only after we've had a reminder letter through the post because the payment is two weeks late. Will this affect my credit rating?

Thanks in advance for any knowledge and advice!

ashp_2

Maybe...Who is your energy supplier?

National_Debtline

Hi astro14 and welcome to MSE,


A joint energy bill should not create a financial association on the credit files as it is not a form of credit. However, the fact that you are all named does create joint and several liability which means you are all responsible for 100% of the bill separately and together. So, if the energy supplier reports to the credit agencies, which not all of them will, it is possible this may create a late payment mark.


I would suggest you check all 3 of the credit files and see if there is anything negative reported.


Laura
@natdebtline

GingerBob_3

Some utilities do actually create an illegal financial association in such circumstances (see lots of other threads on this subject), and the CRAs let them do it.


No one should ever have utility accounts in joint names.


Message to all house sharers, and especially students, in rented accommodation everywhere!!


Only ever have bills in a single name and don't EVER disclose to any providers the names of other occupants, nor any other personal information such as previous addresses, or home addresses for students.

sivs

I don't get your post.. Why should one person in a shared house take all the liabilities? Would you want al the bills in your name if you shared with 6 other people?

What would you do if they didn't pay you?

GingerBob wrote: »

Some utilities do actually create an illegal financial association in such circumstances (see lots of other threads on this subject), and the CRAs let them do it.


No one should ever have utility accounts in joint names.


Message to all house sharers, and especially students, in rented accommodation everywhere!!


Only ever have bills in a single name and don't EVER disclose to any providers the names of other occupants, nor any other personal information such as previous addresses, or home addresses for students.

GingerBob_3

sivs wrote: »

I don't get your post.. Why should one person in a shared house take all the liabilities? Would you want al the bills in your name if you shared with 6 other people?

What would you do if they didn't pay you?

I didn't say that. Set it up so that one person does the gas/electric, another the water, and so on.

Dobbibill

My DS is in shared accomodation as a student and they all have one bill each - eg TV licence, water, leccie, gas, broadband etc etc.

The others work out the difference and transfer it to the bill payer so they all pay an equal share. If it forgotten about, there is only one person who will be chased by the company and/or reported to the CRAs.

astro14

Ecotricity for electricity and Eon for gas.