Cousin's daughter has ended up with the box room at her university shared house

[mrsjavierbardem]

She's paying the same rent and her mates won't budge on anything: Won't rotate the room, won't pay more.

She did agree to have the room a year ago - but now sees that it is almost impossibly small and feels she should at the very least, pay less rent.

I guess that's that but I do think they are being vile to her and so aggressive in their refusal to discuss it at all.. Oh well you see people's true colours over this kind of thing, a life lesson for sure.

[mrsjavierbardem]

Sorry wrong location!

[MrsCakesPrecognition]

She could start looking for alternative accommodation, at least to give her a bargaining tool. What does her contract say about leaving?

[TryingNotToLaugh]

She should be paying less rent, but as she has already agreed to it, I doubt she can do anything about it other than look to leave.,

[startwig1982]

I had the box room at university in my final year. It fitted a bed, desk, chair and wardrobe. It didn't occur to me to ask to pay less rent as we were still sharing all the communal rooms and it really didn't matter. If she initially agreed to it then I don't see why she should make a fuss about it now.

[sleepyhead]

When you say she agreed a year ago, had she seen the room? Did she know that the others were getting "normal" rooms and she was getting a boxroom?

Does it have a window and is just small, or is it a space that would not normally be used as a bedroom (ie basically a large cupboard). If the latter, has she checked that it complies with the rules for HMOs?

She should be paying reduced rent and it's very unfair, however I can also see the point of view of her flatmates that if they have budgeted based on an agreement to divide the rent equally then it may not be in their power financially to take the extra hit.

I would think less of them as people, but other than move out there's probably not much she can do at this point.

As I am old, when I was a student it was routine for people to be happy to sleep in any cupboard that was big enough for a mattress on the floor and space for a rucksack. But in such cases they paid a much smaller proportion of rent (and this is probably now illegal).

[PenisesAreNotPink]

If the living room is separate she should take that as her bedroom and put the sofa in the box room.

[sleepyhead]

xpost with startwig1982.

If op's student relative is in a room big enough to have a bed, desk, chair & wardrobe then I agree it's not appropriate to ask for reduced rent.

By "boxroom" I would assume only big enough to sleep in. As long as the room is big enough to be a study bedroom, and the flat is big enough for there to be communal space for eating/visitors, then I think it's fair enough.

[Coughle]

Why should they discuss it? She agreed - it would not be fair for them to pay more rent when that will affect their own finances - and as for rotating, what a hassle....

[mrsjavierbardem]

Of course, she has nothing but a moral case.

She doesn't want to look elsewhere, these are her "closest friends"... ahem.....

She did see the room but I think she was simply naive, optimistic and generous rather than shrewd and self interested. Also there was better small-room furniture which has now gone, exacerbating the smallness. It does have a window and a wardrobe & a tiny desk.

I think she made an honest mistake and they should at the very least discuss her paying less, at least discuss it.

[sleepyhead]

Sorry, no then.

I think if she saw the room and it's big enough to sleep and study in then she's got no case at all, moral or otherwise, for now feeling that she should pay less.

I'd be feeling pissed off if I were her, but at least 50% of that would be directed at myself.

[mrsjavierbardem]

It's not a cupboard, it's just much much smaller than the rest of the bedrooms.

I'm not saying she has anything other than a moral claim to even a token reduction in rent.

Everyone makes mistakes don't they?

[mrsjavierbardem]

Penises, that is a great idea, but they would probably have her killed for mentioning it, they sound like a really hard nosed bunch of b!!!
Forgive the sisters for using the word but honestly they are hard nosed!

[mrsjavierbardem]

sleepy, you are very hard on her, no 'moral' case at all for fairness?
can one not make a mistake and have it redressed?

[Theas18]

yep. It's a pain. DD1 was in the same situation in 2nd year. She's just too bleeding nice to fight her corner. Our feeling was that if she as happy ( and she was ) then it was OK . THe agreement was rent split equally, and she had agreed it.

I think she learned though. 3rd year she had the tiny room again, but in a house where the landlord set the rent for each room separately. Work so much better as the rich lad had the " penthouse" en suite in the attic and paid for it appropriately!

[ReallyTired]

I think she should get the citizen's advice bureau to look at her contract and see if there is any possibility of moving out. In many student houses all the tenants are jointly and severally liable. If she moves out then all that will happen is that she will lose her share of the desposit and her housemates will have to pay more rent.

I fear that your cousin's daughter will fall out with her mates if there is no compromise.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Sorry but that's how it worked when I was a student too.

We drew lots for the box room but all paid the same rent.

[mrsjavierbardem]

Theas, she will certainly learn from this that if she is too nice she will get burned and I've said to her I am glad that she has seen these girls in their true selfish colours.

Fine that they refuse but not fine that they are being so nasty about it.

Hey ho we live and learn!

[littlewhitebag]

That's basically just how it works. My DD's student flat had 4 smallish bedrooms and one massive one. DD got the massive one as she put all the work into getting the flat. They all paid the same rent.

She agreed to the room so now she just has to make it homely and get on with life. All over studentland someone has the box room!

[Gunznroses]

She hasn't got any 'moral' case. she saw the room, was naive enough to think it will fit, she will learn from her mistakes. if she wants to bargain on rent she should be speaking to the Landlord not her friends, why on earth would they shoulder the extra cost??? and as for rotating rooms who earth does that???

[sleepyhead]

Not when it materially affects other people, no.

She's asking other people to pay more to correct her mistake. They're quite reasonably not going to want to do that. Sorry.

If she'd not wanted the smaller room then it's possible that they could have found someone else willing to share who would have taken it and paid an equal share of rent. Some people aren't bothered about small spaces or don't plan to spend a lot of time in their room.

It's sad though that her "best friends" are taking this line. Hopefully she can use this year to find some better ones.

[edamsavestheday]

I once had the smallest bedroom in a shared house and paid less rent than the others - the girl in the big attic conversion bedroom paid most. Think your niece is being taken advantage off. At least she's discovered these people are no friends of hers.

[mrsjavierbardem]

Fair enough, we can all see she's stuck with it. I just feel sad for her as it's quite a big mistake. She is getting on with it.

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

She agreed to the room and the rent. If she's finding it's too small, she should look for another place. Maybe just her looking for/finding a new place will be enough to motivate her "friends" to renegotiate the price (as they'll realise they'll have to get a new roommate they won't know so well).

They shouldn't have to pay more just because she made a mistake. Why should THEY pay for HER mistake? They don't owe her anything.

But really - this is your cousin's daughter? Why are you so invested in this? You have to let go. This'll be the first of many knocks that life will deliver, you'll have to step back a LOT or the stress will kill you!

[Gunznroses]

Can i ask just why she is asking the landlord for a reduction? i'd say she's got a strong case for that.

[Shenanagins]

Tbh if I was one of the others I'd be annoyed at her - she saw it and agreed to it but now wants to pay less rent meaning I'm now going to pay more than i budgeted for. The alternative of moving rooms would just be additional hassle that I don't need.