Estate Agent doesn't allow guests

onwards&upwards

If I were her i’d just put up with it for the rest of the contract, spend more time at other people’s places, and get out ASAP.

It’s not going to be worth the hassle of doing anything else.

Next time she should make sure expectations are clearer with any future flatmates.

Furberserver

Thanks all for the advice. No there's no written confirmation of her being told she can't have a guest as it was over the phone.

Seems like as you said, just a case of moving out ASAP. Going to at least make the expectations clear that if she's not allowed a guest because he doesn't want anyone around, that the same also applies to him.

G_M

Furberserver wrote: »

Thanks all for the advice. No there's no written confirmation of her being told she can't have a guest as it was over the phone.

Seems like as you said, just a case of moving out ASAP. Going to at least make the expectations clear that if she's not allowed a guest because he doesn't want anyone around, that the same also applies to him.

By doing that she is aknowledging that she's not allowed guests. Why would she do that?

zagubov

This sounds awkward, but it shouldn't be.

I presume your GF and the other tenant are flat-mates not room-mates.

Unless the LL and the other tenant have an understanding we're not privy to, you should both be able to have occasional overnight guests who are unobtrusive and considerate enough to not interfere with bathroom schedules or house-cleaning etc.

This should not be so regular as to impose on the other tenant. All over the place, tenants and their partners to alternate are amicably arranging staying over at each others shared premises without intruding on each others peace. It's the scaffolding on which relationship-building is grown, and everybody's in on it and nobody wants it to fail.

Frankly it sounds it's time for some diplomacy. Does the flatmate never intended to have overnight guests?

Furberserver

The room mate refuses to speak to her about it and is deferring to the estate agent.

Estate agent is telling her no.

Based on your comments she needs to resolve this with the room mate and he's not willing to.

She's already lost then as far as I'm concerned. Very little else she can do. I could kick off a fuss about the estate agent refusing her but as you said, it boils down to the house mate again who won't play ball.

Furberserver

Flat mate. I've never met him, he's never been around when i was there.

From what I've heard he doesn't have guests ever anyway. There's no imposing, the guest would only be staying the night and they'd be out all day. It really just boils down to a flat mate who is being incredibly awkward.

onwards&upwards

I find it a bit creepy actually that a man is telling a female flatmates that she’s not allowed to be in the flat with anybody except him.

Can she stay at yours a lot until the tenancy is over? Hopefully it’s just 6 months.

Furberserver

She probably only has ~3 or so months left. So she's just buckling up for the remainder of it.

Typically when i see her on weekends she stays with me (my flat mates don't care!), just on this occasion she wanted a friend from overseas to stay with her for a night or two.

DCFC79

OP can you and your gf not rent a flat/house, then your gf can have friends over.

AdrianC

Furberserver wrote: »

The room mate does not want her to have any guests over, and has said she needs to get approval from the estate agent. The estate agent is telling her if she wants a guest to stay the night, she needs the room mates approval, otherwise they can't stay.

The contract has no mention of guests, and i think its generally understood that guests staying over 14 nights need approval from the landlord/agency. My understanding is that by refusing a guest to stay a single night, they're breaching her right to quiet enjoyment.

No, you're blaming the wrong person.

I plan to go to their office this weekend and discuss. If they still refuse, what action can be taken against them?

1. This is nothing to do with you. You are not the tenant. Your GF is an adult. The EA should refuse to talk to you at all.

2. This is nothing to do with the EA.

Furberserver wrote: »

The landlord is making up all kinds of claims like one of her friends who wants to stay 1 night is from overseas so they're not allowed to stay.

Sounds like Chinese Whispers over the "Right-to-Rent" legal residency checks. It is illegal for any landlord to rent a property to anybody whose legal residency right they haven't explicitly checked. That doesn't apply to short-term guests.

Furberserver wrote: »

The last time she had a guest, the room mate complained to the estate agent and they contacted her telling her she can't have guests without his approval.

Where "his" = flatmate, not EA.

The EA is simply saying "I'm not getting involved. Sort this out between you two." - and quite right, too.

The flatmate is being a prat here - he's being unreasonable in a shared property to insist on no guests, and he's being immature in saying "Talk to the EA". But such is his right. He has exactly the same rights as your GF has. You think she has a right to live as she wants, with guests? He has just as much right to not have additional occupants foisted on him.

Two grown adults share that flat, and they need to both sit down and agree a mutually acceptable situation. Otherwise, one of them needs to move.

Furberserver wrote: »

The room mate refuses to speak to her about it and is deferring to the estate agent.

Estate agent is telling her no.

No, the EA is saying "Leave me out of this". Rightly. Do the house-sharers expect them to get involved in disputes about the hoovering, or the washing up, or leaving the loo seat up...?

Based on your comments she needs to resolve this with the room mate and he's not willing to.

Tough. They need to sit down and talk about this like adults.

She's already lost then as far as I'm concerned. Very little else she can do.

Move. In the interim, why can't she stay over at your place...?

I could kick off a fuss about the estate agent refusing her but

...he isn't.

as you said, it boils down to the house mate again who won't play ball.

*DING*