Problem with a tenant

liz545

pinkshoes wrote: »

Are you students? As students aren't allowed to graduate usually if they have outstanding debt, so you could have a word with the student union.

I think this only applies to debts that are payable directly to the university, such as course fees, halls of residence fees, library fines etc. Most uni's don't care whether you've got a rent arrears with a private landlord/credit card debt etc - at least the one I work for doesn't.

Do you have anything that mentions the sum you're expected to pay in terms of individual rent - maybe a receipt for your security deposit that states deposit of £X equivalent to X month's rent, or any guarantor/reference forms you had to fill in? This will all make things easier if you have to take her to small claims.

cuttersblade

well we each paid a months deposit so that shows that she pays less, but the agreement about how much we were each going to pay was oral and we didnt have to fill in any guarantor or reference forms.

moneysavinmonkey

pinkshoes wrote: »

Are you students? As students aren't allowed to graduate usually if they have outstanding debt, so you could have a word with the student union.

What a ridiculous statement! Of course students graduate with debt - I'll think you'll find that the overwhelming majority now graduate with whacking great big debts!

You may find that you can't graduate officially if you owe the university any money, such as your fees etc as they check on this when you go to register for graduation. Completely irrelevant to the OP's situation though.

Paparika

cuttersblade wrote: »

She hasnt actually moved out, she was in the library when the landlord arranged to come around and refused to come back home to sort it. The reason i wrote the cheque was as no body else was in.
I understand we are all liable to make sure all the rent is paid, does the fact that we all agreed how much each of us would pay have any influence on any small claim?

We did try to find out why she wasnt paying in full but she said it was none of our business, we think maybe she was trying to reclaim her deposit early but even then the numbers dont add up as she only paid a £260 deposit.

tell her it is your business because she has broken her tenancy agreement, so i think you deserve a better answer than its not your business, especially as you were so kind to bail her out

Snooze

cuttersblade wrote: »

We have a joint tenancy which means the house has to provide X amount of rent a term. If one of us doesnt pay it means the rest of us are liable for it. Aparently joint tenancies are used alot my student landlords as it means if the full rent isnt paid he can pursue any of the tenants for the missing rent.
At least thats how i understand it

In that case I suggest you tell her that she has 24hrs to cough up the money otherwise she will find all her belonging on the doorstep out in the rain and not be allowed inside til she pays.

Rob

cuttersblade

Paparika wrote: »

tell her it is your business because she has broken her tenancy agreement, so i think you deserve a better answer than its not your business, especially as you were so kind to bail her out

yea im going to tell her that when she comes back from the library and no doubt starts ranting

pinkshoes

moneysavinmonkey wrote: »

What a ridiculous statement! Of course students graduate with debt - I'll think you'll find that the overwhelming majority now graduate with whacking great big debts!

You may find that you can't graduate officially if you owe the university any money, such as your fees etc as they check on this when you go to register for graduation. Completely irrelevant to the OP's situation though.

lol don't be so dense! you know what I meant, as did the OP! :rotfl:

If they have any debt outstanding WITH THE UNIVERSITY, then you need to pay them before they let you graduating. We were also told to report it to the university if a student had failed to pay rent owed on private accommodation. All universities are different, so maybe it's relevant, maybe it's not.

Bungarm2001

There is a similar problem with one of our student lets. 4 sharers, and one has decided she doesn't want to share anymore and she did a runner (sort of) with a promise to pay her share up to the end of the tenancy agreement...needless to say, she hasn't...so far.

Up to now, we have let the other 3 off with her share, (they are really nice tenants) but we will need it before the end of the tenancy, and the remaining tenants know they will have to pay her share eventually if she doesn't do the right thing.

On the plus side, we do have an address for her plus references and a guarantor, so hopefully, she will do the right thing by what were her mates in the end. Hopefully your flatmate will do the same.

Since you have paid part of what she owes, I would say you are within your rights to actually take her to the small claims. You certainly will be if she refuses to pay anymore and you guys have to pay her share of the rent to the end of the tenancy.

moneysavinmonkey

pinkshoes wrote: »

lol don't be so dense! you know what I meant, as did the OP! :rotfl:

yeah I did know what you mean't as I have graduated and know the procedure. I'm not so sure the OP did and if I was a undergrad and didn't know about these things you would have scared the s*** out of me...

to be clear absolutely no checks are made on rent owed to a private landlord or any other debts not owed direct to the uni. how could the uni check this?? + why would it be anything to do with them or in their interests to not allow you to graduate???!!!!

terryw

moneysavinmonkey wrote: »

yeah I did know what you mean't as I have graduated and know the procedure. I'm not so sure the OP did and if I was a undergrad and didn't know about these things you would have scared the s*** out of me...

to be clear absolutely no checks are made on rent owed to a private landlord or any other debts not owed direct to the uni. how could the uni check this?? + why would it be anything to do with them or in their interests to not allow you to graduate???!!!!

At some unis, it is quite normal for them to liaise with landlords for student accommodation. In this case, where they have been involved, they obviously want to to keep a good relationship with said landlord and will act upon complaints.
Whether they would or could hold a degree in these circumstances is very debatable although they might huff and puff a bit.

However, if the students have found the house themselves the uni would not interfere, and indeed probably could not care less.

terryw

.