Unwinding Tenancy I signed today! Help!

Help6761

Hi there, I've just signed a tenancy agreement this morning for a new house. I was told before moving in that the house would be cleaned before the move in date, however upon arriving the cupboards were full of previous tenants belongings and the place was filthy. We were also told that the gas and electric were paid on a pre paid card and key but when I called the agents to ask where these were, I was then informed these are actually paid on a quarterly basis. Which is way to expensive for me. The meter cupboard even has a poster on the inside about how to use the card.
I'm currently 8 months pregnant and panicking about where I'm going to live, I don't want to stay in the house and want to continue my current tenancy which my landlord is happy to do.
I've tried calling the estate agents and they have said they cant do anything until monday but have offered to get someone to clean the house. I've explained that I was misinformed about how the utilities were paid and don't want to stay, which I'm under the impression I can use to unwind the tenancy? Does anyone know if I will be able to do this? Many thanks!

G_M

Paying quarterly is almost certainly a cheaper way to buy gas/electricity than pre-payment. Just put aside in a savings account an amount each week = to what you'd put on the pre-payment card. At the end of the 1st quarter you'll get a bill. Use that money in the savings account to pay the bill. Overall, you will save money. See also


https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/switch-prepaid-gas-electricity/


If the LL/agent is going to arrange cleaning, great. Yes, it's tough you have to spend the weekend in a dirty house. Not ideal. But at least it's very short term.

No, you can't 'unwind' the tenancy. But once the house has ben cleaned you will doubtless feelbetter about it.

Meanwhile, just in case, take photos of each room. Was a inventory provided? Hiw does it describe the state of cleanliness? Have you signed it and kept a copy?


Write to the landlord (at the address "for serving notices") and copy the agents, to put on record the state of the property, and asking for the previous tenat'sbelongings to be removed. Meanwhile, box them up ready to be collected and/or dumped in due course.


I'm sorry the new property is not perfect, that's depressing, but things will improve.

phill99

The utilities will cost you the same even if you pay on a quarterly basis. However, I understand that it can be a cash flow issue.


You can call the supplier and ask to be put on a monthly direct debit or ask for a card meter to be installed.

G_M

phill99 wrote: »

The utilities will cost you the same even if you pay on a quarterly basis. However, I understand that it can be a cash flow issue.

Yes I was thinking back to the days when pre-payment was charged higher rates. Now banned.


But a quarterly bill allows you to earn interest in a savings acount for 3 months before being billed. Just need to open an account and ensure you pay in each week/month.



And it's easier to shop around for cheaper suppliers when on monthly or quarterly billing.

phill99

G_M wrote: »

But a quarterly bill allows you to earn interest in a savings acount for 3 months before being billed. Just need to open an account and ensure you pay in each week/month.

But the interest on say £75/month for three months is precisely zero at the moment.

Help6761

Thanks for the replies but honestly I do not want to stay in this house what so ever, I feel completely mislead and really just want to unwind this tenancy which I have read I can do on the housing advice site, as long as I have been mislead by the landlord or agent before moving in.

On the basis of the gas and electric and the state of the house, do you think this would be enough for me to reverse this?

PasturesNew

Sorry, but no, none of your reasons are a way to reverse your tenancy. Very, very, very few reasons are EVER good enough in all honesty. It'd have to be an extreme reason to get out of it. VERY extreme.

It's dirty, it should be cleaned/cleared in a few days. Annoying, but it is what it is.

Payment of utilities is not what you expected. Unfortunate, but if you can put the money aside and not touch it then you're more in control as you don't have to go out and top up any cards when you don't feel like it.

elsien

I don't think the house being dirty would count if the agent is offering to have it cleaned for you.
As to whether the electric being on a meter not a prepaid card, the bottom line is that it would be down to a court to decide as to whether a) you were deliberately misled and b) that was sufficient cause, if your landlord decides to sue you for the unpaid rent.
You're far better trying to negotiate with the landlord if you want out.

G_M

elsien wrote: »

I don't think the house being dirty would count if the agent is offering to have it cleaned for you..

Agreed.


And as you are the utility company's customer, you are in control of the contract with them. If you want a pre-payment contract, contact the utility company and set it up.


Bottom line is no, you cannot 'unwind the tenancy' without the landlord's agreement. Indeed, I'd be interested to see where you read this.

[Deleted User]

Two years ago I moved into this social housing place. It had a prepaid meter. I had the same equipment, was using the same amount of gas and electricity, but my bills went from £90 a month to £45 a week, even being sparing with my useage (was a different company).

I soon changed to a credit meter and the old company. Was soon paying £90 a month in spite of a new tariff. Inspite of prepayment meters being capped by the time I changed over to a credit meter.

I just don't believe it when people say prepayment meter tariffs are the same price as those for credit meters. Something must be doubling the cost when you have the same equipment. I never paid less than £35 a week.

Have you tried looking at your budgeting? I don't mean to be patronising but there are ways of managing but you do have to be very very careful.

Even on benefits and not having much money, I learned to leave enough for basic useage. Rent first, then electricity (if I had my pc on, or TV for the kids, the lights were off etc), heat if I could afford it, then food. Walked everywhere and was probably the healthiest I could be lol. And yes I did this when pregnant as well. Try freegle etc for clothes/equipment for the baby, I know I passed all my baby stuff on through there, others probably do, or there is facebook. It was all carefully chosen good quality items. Most of it my baby son wore a few times before he grew out of it lol.

I am afraid as you have signed the contract, there is probably little you can do. I am sorry. if the worst comes to the worst, google problem stains etc. Believe it or not, when I was pregnant and in a hostel for the homeless I had to get stains off a bath the council had condemned as uncleanable (it was like new when I finished) and clean brown stuff of the toilet walls. You do what you have to. Yep the council were paying themselves a fortune in rent for this wonderful accommodation, four times the normal rent at the time.

Its a very hard lesson to learn, but don't sign an AST until the work has been done, even if it means losing the property. There are decent LA's and LL's around but there are no guarantees the one you have is, particularly if they can't be bothered to clean the place before you view it.

Take lots of photos on your phone of the property as it is the hour you move in. Then email listing it all. Only way to make sure you don't get told to pay for the damage/dirt on moving out.

Marvel1

phill99 wrote: »

The utilities will cost you the same even if you pay on a quarterly basis. However, I understand that it can be a cash flow issue.

deannatrois wrote: »

Two years ago I moved into this social housing place. It had a prepaid meter. I had the same equipment, was using the same amount of gas and electricity, but my bills went from £90 a month to £45 a week, even being sparing with my useage (was a different company).

I soon changed to a credit meter and the old company. Was soon paying £90 a month in spite of a new tariff. Inspite of prepayment meters being capped by the time I changed over to a credit meter.

I just don't believe it when people say prepayment meter tariffs are the same price as those for credit meters. Something must be doubling the cost when you have the same equipment. I never paid less than £35 a week.

Even on this very site:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/switch-prepaid-gas-electricity/#vs

The very cheapest energy tariffs are for those who have standard meters – where you pay monthly or quarterly, by direct debit, cash or cheque.

For a typical household, you'd save over £125/yr on the cheapest deal with a standard meter, compared to the cheapest prepayment deal.