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Bills being capped if you are renting to students

Just a quick question, was talking to someone tonight they were saying that if you were a landlord with tenants that were students, the gas, electric and water would be capped at a certain amount???? Also they were saying that the same can be done if you have 3 under 18 living in a home? Anyone else heard this?? Many thanks
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  • Edi81
    Edi81 Posts: 1,433
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    What a load of rubbish!
  • calash
    calash Posts: 3,566
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    Edi81 wrote: »
    What a load of rubbish!

    I thought the same, but a bookkeeper told her
  • Comms69
    Comms69 Posts: 14,229
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    Nonsense, and students typically pay their own bills- unless you rent out by the room
  • calash
    calash Posts: 3,566
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    Comms69 wrote: »
    Nonsense, and students typically pay their own bills- unless you rent out by the room

    My son rents a room in a house the bills are included, I was really wondering how the landlord can stop them from using so much gas/electric as they could have it all on 24/7
  • boliston
    boliston Posts: 3,012
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    probably confused with council tax bills as a student is 'disregarded' for ctax - eg 2 students + 1 non student adult gets a 25% single person discount
  • Comms69
    Comms69 Posts: 14,229
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    calash wrote: »
    My son rents a room in a house the bills are included, I was really wondering how the landlord can stop them from using so much gas/electric as they could have it all on 24/7

    Cant, part of the deal
  • 00ec25
    00ec25 Posts: 9,123
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    edited 30 December 2018 at 9:29PM
    calash wrote: »
    My son rents a room in a house the bills are included, I was really wondering how the landlord can stop them from using so much gas/electric as they could have it all on 24/7
    the LL cannot stop then using utilities and, as already mentioned, unless it is an HMO, the bills will be in their name anyway. It is part of the growing up process involved in being a student - your actions have repercussions for yourself

    if it is an HMO (or they are lodgers in the LL's house) the tenancy agreement might possibly contain a clause (under contract law) to set an "excessive" value whereby the LL can bill them for extra costs over and above the agreed rent, if the utility bill is "over" a fixed amount

    disputing such extra charges is then a matter of a contract law dispute - one the tenants will lose if the contract has been correctly drafted in the first place and the LL has evidence to support the extra cost claimed. But it does not stop the students from running the bill up in the first place.

    https://www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2014/01/09/tessas-tenancy-agreements-where-the-landlord-pays-the-bills/
  • calash
    calash Posts: 3,566
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    00ec25 wrote: »
    the LL cannot stop then using utilities and, as already mentioned, unless it is an HMO, the bills will be in their name anyway

    if it is an HMO (or they are lodgers in the LL's house) the tenancy agreement might possibly contain a clause (under contract law) to set an "excessive" value whereby the LL can bill them for extra costs over and above the agreed rent, if the utility bill is "over" a fixed amount

    disputing such extra charges is then a matter of a contract law dispute - one the tenants will lose if the contract has been correctly drafted in the first place and the LL has evidence to support the extra cost claimed. But it does not stop the students from running the bill up in the first place.

    https://www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2014/01/09/tessas-tenancy-agreements-where-the-landlord-pays-the-bills/


    So maybe the Landlord has put something in the contract, I must have a look, Thanks
  • M2808
    M2808 Posts: 61
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    Our landlord told us we had a cap of £1000 per year. All this meant was he was watching it and if it went over £1000, we got charged.
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