Flatmate has left leaving me up the creek

[EachandEveryone]

I wonder how long before I can get another one. My rent has doubled since I had a knock on the door last night. Flat mates mum turned up to empty her room. She was really lovely as well. Not even a text. Apparently she went to NI has caught a chest infection and been put on antibiotics and her mum has told her she needs to move back home! I want to say see how the land lies she might want to come back in afew weeks.

So Im all on my own some and my rent has shot up from £700 to £1250 plus bills. Im trying not to worry but I need to make a plan. Im lucky in that Im a nurse and of course there’s overtime but thats not without its risks.

Will people ever return to London? I cant ask for help and theres no point telling the landlord as they know Im a nurse and Ive been here 15 years.

@oohnicevase

Why do you sublet a room, why not just rent a smaller place on your own? I can't imagine living with someone I didn't get on with .. must be painful!!!

Yep this! It's hard enough sometimes living with someone you DO get on with!

@EachandEveryone Is it an option move to something smaller/cheaper? Long term subletting has got to be a ballache.

And yeah I think subletting is pretty much illegal, but not if your LL knows.

DD and her boyfriend rented a 2 bed flat several years ago, (£500 a month.. £250 each...) After about 6 months, they let their friend in too (he had the other bedroom obvs,.) They said 'this means we only have to pay around £166 each.'

But the landlord put the rent up by £160 - to £660! So they had to pay £220 each!

It was still £30 less than they were paying though, and he was allowed to do it apparently, as it became a new contract with the 3 of them, but the main reason they let their mate in was to lessen the rent. It never occurred to them that the landlord would put the rent up, and they'd hardly be saving anything! In addition, they found their mate hard to live with, and clashed a lot, and they regretted it within a few weeks.

So at the end of the next 6 months, (when the contract was up for renewal,) they gave a month's notice, told their mate they were leaving, and moved into another place together. Said mate is still there, living with the same flatmate who moved in 4 years ago when DD and her boyfriend moved out.

They are all friends though.

I wish you well @EachandEveryone I hope everything goes well for you and you find another flatmate soon (if you can't move to somewhere smaller/cheaper that is.)

I feel like there’s a million things I’m missing on this thread! Why are people being so stroppy towards the op?

@PieceOfMaria Yeah the council/housing associations DEFINITELY do not allow subletting. Subletting (if you are in social housing) will get you an eviction notice pretty smartish!

@Honeyroar No idea. The OP hasn't really done anything wrong, and does not deserve the vitriol.

Why are people being so stroppy towards the op? People just seem to enjoy being stroppy. It seems to be getting worse.

I'm pretty sure I could answer the question about why not just get something smaller. The only thing you could get for £700 pcm in London is a not very nice room in a shared house. You certainly wouldn't be able to get anywhere to live alone. And in a standard houseshare not only do you still have to share, you also have no control whatsoever over who you live with - when you are the headline tenant and sublet then you do.

Sorry that was for @oohnice vase @helgahelga

Then why live in London when you can't really afford it ? I don't get some people's life choices sometimes .. obvs rach to their own but still . I'd rather earn less and afford more in a different part of the country .

I don’t think you’ve actually answered this anywhere.

Does your landlord know you sublet? And if so, are they happy about it?

I don’t get why people have more babies than they can afford, but whatever. @@.

I wouldn’t tell the landlord that you hope they’ll take advantage of the mortgage holiday; maybe they don’t have one! I’d ASK whether you can come to an arrangement, given the circumstances.

I'd rather earn less and afford more in a different part of the country

OP’s not you. We’re all different.

I think if her smoking weed was a problem you have got rid of a problem.

You have 3 bedrooms and I don't think you will struggle to get someone in London.

What did you do before she moved in as she hasn't been there long?
Where did you advertise to get her? Would this not be an option?

@heartsonacake Does your landlord know you sublet? And if so, are they happy about it? She has answered it. More than once I think. And the answers are yes, and yes.

@YetAnotherSpartacus And I don't even get why people have any babies at all but guess what, we're all different (and all have different circumstances that also lead to different choices).

@AhComeOnNow

The woman wasn't a lodger, she was subletting. It's not the same thing.

Don't 'I always love when MNers are experts ' at me, then use incorrect legal terminology, misquoting the OP. It makes you look a bit clueless.

People on here literally cannot read. She wasn't smoking weed. That was the other tenant. Her landlady does know about the subletting.

I think if her smoking weed was a problem you have got rid of a problem

I thought that was a previous flat mate

@Eckhart A lodger and a subtenant (someone who is subletting) is only not the same thing if they don't share with the tenant. In this case the OP is the tenant and she has got lodgers in. She would be properly subletting if, for example, she had moved out to go on an extended holiday somewhere and had sublet the flat in her absence. As it is, she has lodgers and they only have lodgers' rights. Whether she owns the flat or is the tenant makes no difference.

The mother has not gone put with a taxi full of stuff to leave at her friends house. She cant be taking it on a plane so it must need picking up at some point. Its strange she would've come back if she could have Im sure of it. She was 23 loving London life, her girl friend is here they were out clubbing every weekend. She did have anxiety as she washed everything in so much soap I actually had the washing machine man out last weeK and he told me himself but i already knew. She used to hang it out covered in bubbles and she was hours in the shower I wont miss the six different bottles of gel etc. I do hope she is alright and it is a shame.

Ill just have to try and enjoy my own company for awhile. I wont starve. I just pray my big trip to Canada in June is cancelled and refunded as im not in the mood for a big holiday and the money will be handy.

@thecatneuterer The difference between a lodger and a subletter is whether or not the individual has private, lockable space within the property, regardless of whether they share other space with the landlord or not. It's not been specified by OP whether the erstwhile resident had a lockable room. It has been specified that the arrangement was a sublet.

@Eckhart Even if they did have a lock it wouldn't stop them being a lodger, just as it wouldn't if they were sharing with a home owner. As long as the LL (the owner or main tenant) has a key and has specified that they are allowed to enter the room, then they are still a lodger.

Yes, that's right. And that's not been specified by OP, but the fact that it's a sublet has. OP may be wrong, but we can't assume that.

No point splitting hairs over it. This time tomorrow I will be coming home from work to an empty flat and I think Im going to enjoy it while I can. Ive looked on fb theres an nhs accommodation site there but what I am seeing is lots of charities coming together to offer free accomodation. Hotels as well. So I will see how it goes.

Do you have any colleagues who have been advised to stay away from their families and need a room even short term. It might get you through the next month or so.