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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think dsis should leave her lodgings?

57 replies

namechange101010 · 26/10/2014 17:07

DSis recently moved to a new area and into lodgings, a large room in a house shared with the landlady and two other lodgers. They have shared use of the kitchen and the lodgers have a separate bathroom from the landlady. When DSis looked at the house she noticed that some of the furniture in her room had polythene over the top, but assumed that was because it was new; she also saw a newspaper on the floor in the bathroom, but thought that was just temporary. Landlady seemed very pleasant, room was nice so she took it.

However, having moved in she has discovered there are all sorts of rules. After a shower the landlady expects them not just to clean the shower but to dry it. The newspaper is always on the floor in the bathroom, and if it gets at all wet they're expected to replace it. They have designated days for washing, and mustn't have washing drying in their rooms - there is a rack, but it's way too small for the average wash. They have to sign in when they are using the internet, and it goes off automatically at midnight. Although they are supposed to be free to cook in the kitchen, the one time DSis tried it the landlady was hovering round and, when she spilt a couple of drops of water on the top of the cooker the LL insisted that she clean it up there and then, giving a lecture about how she must check under the rings on the cooker. When she'd finished, LL insisted that she wash up the pans immediately whilst her food got cold. Since then, DSis has lived off salads and sandwiches made in her room (she has a fridge), she can't face the hassle of using the kitchen.

DSis is just miserable and already hates going back there. She can give a month's notice but feels bad about moving out so quickly. We've told her she should get out as soon as she can find somewhere else - the landlady really should have told her about all these rules and regulations before she moved in. What does MN think?

OP posts:
GhoulySpook · 28/10/2014 12:25

I thought it was a legal requirement to keep deposits in a separate, protected account?

whatever5 · 28/10/2014 12:59

The landlady sounds really awful. She expects to have her cake and eat it (i.e. to make money from lodgers without the inconvenience that comes with sharing a house). Years ago (mid 90s) when I owned my first house I rented out a couple of the rooms but I expected the lodgers to treat it as a "shared house" as they weren't saving money by living with me rather than renting a room in a shared house. The situation your sister is in with her landlady seems really old fashioned to me and more like it was in the 1960s when my parents were students.

I don't blame her for moving out but personally I would refuse to do so until I had got the deposit back. If the deposit was a months rent I would not pay rent for a month just to make sure I wasn't out of pocket. I also wouldn't pander to the landlady's whims in the meantime.

namechange101010 · 28/10/2014 13:51

Youareall, you haven't really got the point of AIBU, have you?

OP posts:
youareallbonkers · 28/10/2014 14:57

Yes I have. It appears to be for people who know full well they are being unreasonable to ask others on here in order to persuade themselves that they are not.

Aridane · 28/10/2014 15:02

Yes - another one who thinks your sister should move out - but don't see why she would / should be able to reclaim rent paid.

Aridane · 28/10/2014 15:03

though I would stop paying rent - at least that way your sister can set off against the deposit

starfishmummy · 28/10/2014 15:06

As a lodger I think she could just go and not give any notice. If she has paid rent in advance then if I was her then I would probably just leave a few days before the next rent payment was due. I may in fact have done this. Just left a goodbye note!

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