Stuck paying £875pm until April?!

Mickygg

I don’t understand why you aren’t finding a new renter. You need to get that sublet not the other dude as he doesn’t need to bother. Or do it together so other dude can check out the people as well.

Moving out seems extreme. I would move back in, sublet by doing it yourself, and then move back out when the rent is covered. 

On another note have you actually spoken to him? It’s perfectly reasonable to ask him for a higher contribution for rent and bills and he may be fine with that. I bet he can’t believe his luck you have moved out and he has free roam of the flat. I bet that heating thermostat will start to be on nice and high.

Many years ago I often stayed at my ex house she shared with flatmates. I didn’t contribute as I wasn’t asked but had I of been asked I would of been fine to pay for the bills and inconvenience. If you don’t ask you don’t get. 

bcc888

Mickygg said:

I don’t understand why you aren’t finding a new renter. You need to get that sublet not the other dude as he doesn’t need to bother. Or do it together so other dude can check out the people as well.

Moving out seems extreme. I would move back in, sublet by doing it yourself, and then move back out when the rent is covered. 

On another note have you actually spoken to him? It’s perfectly reasonable to ask him for a higher contribution for rent and bills and he may be fine with that. I bet he can’t believe his luck you have moved out and he has free roam of the flat. I bet that heating thermostat will start to be on nice and high.

Many years ago I often stayed at my ex house she shared with flatmates. I didn’t contribute as I wasn’t asked but had I of been asked I would of been fine to pay for the bills and inconvenience. If you don’t ask you don’t get. 

Yes, it was extreme leaving but I was experiencing poor mental health which I'm recovering from at the moment. 

Unfortunately I cant sublet as I need a replacement on the tenancy agreement to be released. 


I appreciate your response.

rexmedorum

bcc888 said:

I moved into a flat with a guy I didnt know and signed a joint tenancy agreement until April 2022. No break clause

...

Without wanting to rub it in: a joint tenancy agreement with a total stranger is a really bad idea, hopefully you'll avoid doing that in future. 

plumb1_2 said:

Unless he agreed to pay 2/3rd of the rent for himself and girlfriend I won’t pay a penny. But save the rent money in a bank account etc in case any legal action further down the line.
And don’t give him your address, just use email for contact 
Only my  opinion and what I would do

It's a little risky but to be he stands more to lose than you of the rent isn't paid as he'd be facing eviction. 

TripleH

What you need is Big Ron as a friend, a 6ft5 flatulent rotund gentleman who walks around in scraggy underpants belching la bamba whilst smoking woodbine when at home. (Poor attempt to bring a smile to your face, sorry).

To be blunt, you need to be more proactive on this, nothing will change unless you take action, no-one else has any interest in changing the current status quo.

Does your agreement have a break clause in it at all?

Can you get support from your family on this, once you get this millstone from round your neck, the burden will be lifted and you will feel better.

Sistergold

I would stop paying the rent and see how it goes. If you can’t beat them might be best to add your own dimension to the whole issue, cause pressure of your own as it were?  They just view you as a walk over and they are enjoying whole flat for half the rent! 

breaking_free

^I'm with Sistergold on this. How easy are you to track down? If the only contact details you've left are an email address you could chance your arm at stopping paying the rent. If ex-flatmate and landlord don't know where you are then they can't collect.

MaryNB

breaking_free said:

^I'm with Sistergold on this. How easy are you to track down? If the only contact details you've left are an email address you could chance your arm at stopping paying the rent. If ex-flatmate and landlord don't know where you are then they can't collect.

If somebody owed me £6k I'd pay someone to track them down! I replaced a tenant who owed the other tenants about £1200. I never met her but still managed to find her parents' home address online. Other tenants didn't bother pursuing it but still, didn't take me long to get some information. 

Say OP chances their arm, but the former flatmate/landlord gets an address, makes a claim, OP gets a CCJ against them and can't rent or get a mortgage for ages. 

canaldumidi

MaryNB said:

breaking_free said:

^I'm with Sistergold on this. How easy are you to track down? If the only contact details you've left are an email address you could chance your arm at stopping paying the rent. If ex-flatmate and landlord don't know where you are then they can't collect.

If somebody owed me £6k I'd pay someone to track them down! I replaced a tenant who owed the other tenants about £1200. I never met her but still managed to find her parents' home address online. Other tenants didn't bother pursuing it but still, didn't take me long to get some information. 

Say OP chances their arm, but the former flatmate/landlord gets an address, makes a claim, OP gets a CCJ against them and can't rent or get a mortgage for ages. 

I take you point regarding being found, but the LL might not bother. Might simply go after the tenant still in occupation for the arrears. Especially if the OP has spoken to the LL and had a sympathetic response (see my 1st post on page 1).

As for CCJ, that only happens if a) the OP is taken to court (they can always pay before it gets to court if legal action is started) AND b) the OP loses in court (admitedly quite likely) AND c) still refuses to pay despite the court decision.

CCJs are not entered onto credit files if the court judgement is paid.

Sistergold

As @canaldumidi has pointed out for you to have a CCJ against you it’s a process and as OP has been advised he will need to keep the rent on the side. Not paying is to make the whole thing not as comfortable for the offending tenant and girlfriend and also estate agent and landlord. Even if the other tenant wanted to find replacement they might fail to do so and at present not much urgency as OP iS paying. 

OP needs to write again to estate agents about why he has had to move out and that since other tenant has new person in place(girlfriend) he will henceforth not be paying rent as he was squeezed out of the flat. He needs to mention how he has told them previously and how his mental health has deteriorated due to nothing being done and the overcrowding. Also he needs to point out he has already overpaid as there had now been 3 people in the flat instead of two but rent was still being split two ways. 

If he continues paying everybody in this arrangement will just let it take as long as and nothing will change. 

[Deleted User]

Sistergold said:

As @canaldumidi has pointed out for you to have a CCJ against you it’s a process and as OP has been advised he will need to keep the rent on the side. Not paying is to make the whole thing not as comfortable for the offending tenant and girlfriend and also estate agent and landlord. Even if the other tenant wanted to find replacement they might fail to do so and at present not much urgency as OP iS paying. 

OP needs to write again to estate agents about why he has had to move out and that since other tenant has new person in place(girlfriend) he will henceforth not be paying rent as he was squeezed out of the flat. He needs to mention how he has told them previously and how his mental health has deteriorated due to nothing being done and the overcrowding. Also he needs to point out he has already overpaid as there had now been 3 people in the flat instead of two but rent was still being split two ways. 

If he continues paying everybody in this arrangement will just let it take as long as and nothing will change. 

UnIess I am missing something, I think it's a long shot to appeal to the landlord. The point of joint and several liability is not to get involved with tenants on an individual basis. The very essence of it is that it is not the landlords concern how the rent is split. Also if landlord has rent/legal insurnace in place as he perhaps should, he will simply follow those processes to ensure he is not out of pocket.