Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

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

86 replies

mrsjavierbardem · 15/09/2014 12:01

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.

OP posts:
Original poster
mrsjavierbardem · 15/09/2014 12:18

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?

OP posts:
sleepyhead · 15/09/2014 12:18

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.

Original poster
mrsjavierbardem · 15/09/2014 12:15

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.

OP posts:
Coughle · 15/09/2014 12:12

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....

sleepyhead · 15/09/2014 12:12

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.

PenisesAreNotPink · 15/09/2014 12:12

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

sleepyhead · 15/09/2014 12:10

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).

startwig1982 · 15/09/2014 12:06

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.

TryingNotToLaugh · 15/09/2014 12:05

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.,

MrsCakesPrecognition · 15/09/2014 12:03

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

Original poster
mrsjavierbardem · 15/09/2014 12:01

Sorry wrong location!

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread