Student Rent but not University closed

jarlathmcelholm

I am currently a student in Belfast but as my University is now closed (and I am not allowed to travel anyway) I no longer have any need for my accommodation. I signed a 12 month contract last August which annoyed me as I knew I wouldn't need the flat over July and August but that is pretty much standard practice in N. Ireland anyway so I just had to accept that.

Now however, I am being asked to pay rent on accomodation that I don't need (& can't travel to anyway) for April, May and June in addition to July & Aug.

I have contacted my Letting agent who replied with the usual "12 Month signed contract" type of thing but I feel in the circumstances this is extremely unreasonable and that I as a student am just being taken as a soft touch. It is hard enough to pay student fees for tuition which is not happening without paying for unnecessary rent as well. My letting agent "kindly" suggested I try to get get a furlough payment for my part-time Saturday waitressing (cash in hand) job which, of course, has now closed!!

Could anyone please advise me as to any rights I may have in light of current circumstances. Thanks

poppy12345

You have no rights because you signed the tenancy agreement and the rent must be paid.

Unfortunately, you can't be furloughed if you were paid "cash in hand"

StopTheGreed

Does your contract have a break clause? Did you inform your landlord that you are not coming back?

[Deleted User]

Don't pay them a penny.    Let them sue.   Maybe some time in 2024 it will go to court.

gary83

The rights you have is that you agreed to occupy a house until august and you agreed to pay £x for it. The house is still available to you so it’s the landlords “rights” that you keep paying for it. Corona virus hasn’t changed contract law.

I’d Make sure you read up all the implications & consequences of deciding not to pay, as a student you probably had to provide a guarantor, are you willing to wreck their credit history as well as your own?

jarlathmcelholm

Yes there was both a guarantor and a deposit so there wouldn't be any huge advantage by just defaulting on my payments as it would also possibly cause problems for sorting new accommodation during my final year.

Retireby40

The landlord is still providing you a service. You wanted a house to rent. Somewhere to live. They provided a service (regardless of why you wanted it) and that service is still available.

You have chosen not to live there of your own back. You could have stayed their. Continued doing your own studying as things are online and carried on as normal.

I take it you moved back to your parents home through choice. Why should the landlord lose income because you prefer your parents cooking than your own?

You still will have recieved a student loan. Use that to pay the rent. Keep your credit history and things good as these things can bite you in the backside in the future.

gettingtheresometime

even when I was in uni 30 odd years ago you still had to pay for July & August so that's not a new thing.

poppy12345

gettingtheresometime said:

even when I was in uni 30 odd years ago you still had to pay for July & August so that's not a new thing.

Some parts of the UK will have tenancy agreements for 10 months for students. I know this because my son is in his final year at Uni and he's only ever signed for 10months, which ends in June.

sharpe106

Now however, I am being asked to pay rent on accomodation that I don't need (& can't travel to anyway) for April, May and June in addition to July & Aug.

Is the accommodation there and available for you to use? If yes the landlord has done his part of the contract.

I have contacted my Letting agent who replied with the usual "12 Month signed contract" type of thing but I feel in the circumstances this is extremely unreasonable and that I as a student am just being taken as a soft touch.

Why do you think you are seen as a soft touch? You are an adult you signed a contract. Why do you think the landlord should lose out in this situation and not you?

jarlathmcelholm

Why do you think you are seen as a soft touch? You are an adult you signed a contract. Why do you think the landlord should lose out in this situation and not you?

"Soft touch" in the sense that the sense that I am already paying fees for a University course which is not being delivered; "soft touch" in the sense that as a "cash only" employee (in my part time employment) that I am now without work but with absolutely no rights of redress: "soft touch" in the sense that it is illegal for me to physically access my accommodation, yet I continue to be charged full rent; "soft touch" in the sense that landlords do have the ability to liaise with lenders to organise Mortgage holidays to accomodate those in difficult situations but evidently my particular landlord has me in a contract which appears to override everything else going on in the world.

I never suggested that the landlord was doing anything underhand; all I asked for was some advice so as to see if there was any wriggle room given my current situation. Your response was unhelpful and brought little to the conversation!