to tell my landlord that I would look into paying the rent and get back to them?

[HecateHarshPants]

and then not.

and then when they phoned again, tell them that I was going to write a cheque and I'd probably post it within the next week.

and then not.

And then when they phoned again, tell them that my husband dealt with cheques, but only monday -wednesday, so he'd have to do it next week

And then when they phoned again - and by this time three weeks have gone past - tell them that I am going to write a cheque, but it won't be till next week and then it will take a week to get posted.

??

What? Not reasonable, you say?

Then WHY DOES MY LANDLORD THINK IT'S REASONABLE TO HOLD ONTO £500 OVERPAYMENT FROM ME?!!!!!!

grrrrrrrr

How did you end up overpaying?

Paying full rent while waiting for a HB claim to be assessed. I have since been awarded a small amount towards the rent, backdated to when I made the claim.

Don't pay rent until the £500 is used up. And withhold the last month of rent in lieu of deposit. How many times have I been stung?!

Why not just tell the landlord that he can use the £500 overpayment to cover the rent for now? YABU for not being upfront!

Why didn't you tell them that you believe you are £500 in credit so are paid up until X date? Why string them along? Saying you'll do something and then not is ridiculous and VU.
FWIW, you are the tenant and responsible for paying the rent on time regardless of your dealings with HB.
All in all YABU.

X Post rock

typical mumsnet I ask one thing - is it reasonable to tell me that you will refund my money and then mess me about for weeks and it descends into why am I in credit and how I am in the wrong God, I love you lot!

It's a housing association, not a private landlord. When I put in the claim for HB I called them. They told me that, my words but their meaning, it really wasn't their problem that I was waiting to hear about HB and they needed the full rent. Fair enough, said I, but what if I am awarded some? we will give you back the overpayment they said.

The HB is about £50 a week. I would much prefer to have the promised lump sum than to knock £50 off my rent for the next 10 weeks. £500 you can do something with. £50 a week gets absorbed.

so, in conclusion

AIBU
Yes
NO I AM NOT!

"Why string them along" ? kitty - are you thinking that I am saying that I am stringing the landlord along? And saying I will pay the rent and then not? because that is not what I am saying. I am reversing the situation. They are doing it to me. Would they like it if I did to them what they are doing to me?

Oh, and not a sneaky reversing either - a clear, in the OP, situation is reversed, I wouldn't get away with doing it to them yet they think it's fine to do it to me reversal

I AM REASONABLE! REASONABLE, I TELL YOU

Ahh...Why did you post in AIBU if your responsive to people telling you are being U is rude, passive aggressive and announcing you are NBU?

I feel sorry for your landlord.

Yes yabr
But you should have seen the last landlord thread
Landlords are angels and can do no wrong
Tenants who would quite like to have the landlord deal with them in a professional way abvvvvu

So Lurking, it's OK for thje landlord to hang on to £500 of the OP's money, despite reassuring her he/she would refund it if necessary and string her along when she asks for it back repeatedly?
Really??

hecate, I agree that it's not fair they are witholding money from you (and stringing you along to boot).

But this area is not called "Arg, you're very unreassonable, how very dare you you bustards". It's AIBU, so don't be surprised if posters come on here and disagree with your own sentiments. Not meaning to flame you, but this section is a bit of a bunfight by definition.

Hope you get your rent back.

Ahh reverse AIBU. I apologise. :)

Hecate YANBU but this AIBU, posters won't actually read that you haven't done what you described in your OP, they just smell blood

ooh, a passive aggressive and feel sorry for my landlord double whammy.

am I going to get a mumsnet beating? Pitchforks and all?

[masochist emoticon] beat me with big sticks, people, I lurve it

I was making a joke referencing the number of people who refuse to accept that they are being unreasonable. How many threads go yabu, no I am not not not not not.

It is ok for me to have a sense of humour about my thread.

Tell me which bit was passive aggressive? I haven't been called PA for yonks. Which bit did it for you?

OP I'd give up if I were you. People are not reading your post properly and not getting the reversal.

Of course YANBU!

nah, don't bloody apologise! I want my mumsnet beating now!

you promised...

It wasn't a reverse AIBU! OP stated that to do what she described in her OP would BU.

I agree with hecate

I'd be furious if it was happening to me.

Can you get your local councillor involved on your behalf? many of them are up for re-election next year so are falling over themselves to help people now. And if it was council stock transferred to a housing association then they will still have a lot of influence.

"Arg, you're very unreassonable, how very dare you you bustards"

I would bloody LOVE that section!

Ah, it'll get sorted, eventually. Good thing about HA is that they will do it. I just think that it's taking the piss to already have fannied about for 3 weeks and not even sent the bugger yet.

Early morning flambe has really woken me up though

(I'm teasing, I love you all really)

Er, your 'reversal' is a bit of a fail if that's the case.
It reads as if you are a complete tw*t who is witholding rent and has not told the landlord the reason why.

Really? does it? Even down the bottom of the OP where I say in big letters

??

What? Not reasonable, you say?

Then WHY DOES MY LANDLORD THINK IT'S REASONABLE TO HOLD ONTO £500 OVERPAYMENT FROM ME?!!!!!!

grrrrrrrr

Did that not come across clearly that I was saying that if I did to the landlord what they are doing to me, I would in fact be doing the above to them and it would be unreasonable?

Genuinely surprised by that. I thought it was very clear. Even down to my husband only signing cheques monday - wednesday

All I can do then is say sorry. I thought that the OP was very clearly saying that this is what the landlord is doing and if I was to do it to them, they wouldn't like it.

Inform him that for the next X weeks till 500 is used you will be cancelling your rent. Tell him this is what you are doing as you want to put the 500 in your bank account to gain interest and at the moment it is in his bank account gaining interest for him. Explain that doing it this way suits you more and is only fair.