Stuck paying £875pm until April?!

Sistergold

Pixie5740 said:

Sistergold said:

Pixie5740 said:

Sistergold said:

[Deleted User] said:

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.

Is it not the estate agent / landlords responsibility to evict squatters? OP wants to pay but at present it’s become impossible for him to live in the house. Rent will still come but from tenant whose girlfriend has moved in. Other tenant and girlfriend are enjoying the flat at half the rent, they have shown to be very inconsiderate of the OP! Somehow I feel not paying rent for now with the intention to pay will bring the situation to a head? The landlord can claim, I think rent has to be missed for X period then claim? Still I think it will cause someone somehow to look into the living arrangements? As long as OP pays rent nothing else will happen, doing nothing is the worst one can do. 

Best not be found to be a victim. This whole process just needs a bit of spine, ruffle some feathers then pay when it’s no longer avoidable. Payments will still be made but just not now but not paying will just show that OP will not take it all lying down.

There aren’t any squatters in this scenario. 

A landlord is your landlord, not your mum. Landlords aren’t in a position to regulate the guests tenants invite into their homes. 

I do understand what you mean, landlord is not mum, but landlord wants their rent? Girlfriend is a squatter(as far as I am concerned) as she has moved into a joint tenancy place without the agreement of the other tenant. How does an adult move in and live a life of not paying rent to the extent that she did not see how much distress she was causing OP? The landlord/agent still has to chase up rent and both are jointly liable and at present the other tenant is in flat and will also be disturbed about this rent? OP has technically “been evicted” by being subjected to unacceptable sharing arrangements, so OP needs to also make living conditions stressful for others involved? If eviction should take place it will not affect OP. OP needs to push things to eviction or other parties paying full rent so that tenancy will end? Or did I misunderstand and OP infact wants to keep everything sweet? As said previously OP should save this rent for paying in the not so distant future when the rent will be demanded. For now the courts are overwhelmed with possible evictions and I am sure landlord and agent might just hope to resolve this by ensuring that the other tenant sticks to original agreement ie two people sharing. 

Landlords and agents are still human beings and I am sure they will not be so detached when rent is not coming in?  

It doesn't matter if you think the girlfriend is a squatter, legally speaking she is not.  She might be a freeloading PITA but she is not a squatter.  Also, I don't think it helps to say things like "technically evicted," as the OP hasn't been evicted.  The OP has been made to feel unwelcome in his or her own home but that is not the same as being evicted.

I think you are missing something as I have already advised the OP to stop paying the rent and ignore the joint tenant.  It's what I would do in the situation.  If nothing else the tenancy could be brought to an end sooner through the Section 8 route.

Thats okay, did not use the terms  “squatter”, and “evicted” in the legal/strict sense. Only used in sympathy to the OP with regards to having to move out and still be expected to pay rent. I also understand the legal obligation to pay rent in this case. So no misunderstanding on my end. Anyway I hope OP sees it was just to emphasise/sympathise with how I felt about them finding themselves in this unfortunate circumstance where they feel they can not move forward with their life due to the rent they have to pay in a place they have had to move out of. I also sympathise with the landlord and have been on that end of having to go to court to evict a tenant who owed us thousands so understand that process too. In all this the only aspect worth noting is I was also supporting withholding rent for now all other terms and discussion can be forgotten and OP should not take them in the legal sense. As it is not paying rent is not legal as there is a contract, but fir me I think it will produce some result one way or the other. 

NameUnavailable

The OP hasn't visited since 28th Sept. Think you are all wasting your energy on this!