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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To give notice this way as a lodger?

79 replies

BibiBlocksberg · 02/10/2015 19:22

Renting a room atm, the landlady rents main house herself from an agency & sub lets to me.

There were problems from the start, no washing facilities as machine broken, en-suite toilet broken, window can't be closed properly as is also broken.

Wasn't told about these until i put deposit down & got keys.

Two days after moving in, roadworks were put in place which mean the road my room which backs on to said road is being used as a local rat run.

It's constantly loud & busy now, short break between 3.30 & 5.30am then back to living on the M25 (effectively)

I hate it, can't sleep properly, relax etc, also, requests for updates on when the broken items will be fixed have been met with agression & a row basically as if i'm really cheeky for asking (well, ll kept telling me these items are in process of being done but then nothing happens)

Anyway, cut a long story short, i've found a much nicer place & will be movig out next friday.

Full month's rent is due today but can only give her one more weeks rent & will tell her to keep two weeks deposit she has already, effectively making it three weeks notice.

I know she will go mad as her rent is due on Monday, got to go tell her i'm going in a minute.....bricking it.

So, am i being totally unreasonable (no written agreement or anything & can't remember if notice period was verbally agreed) stupid i know, was very stressful time for me then)

OP posts:
HirplesWithHaggis · 02/10/2015 19:27

What's the two weeks deposit held for?

pigsDOfly · 02/10/2015 19:29

Sounds like a nightmare. You're not getting some of the facilities you should expect and were led to believe you would have.

Think she's luck you're giving her any notice at all.

Original poster
BibiBlocksberg · 02/10/2015 19:31

Don't really know Hirples, potential damage i think.

OP posts:
BlueJug · 02/10/2015 19:32

YANBU - rules are different for lodgers. As long as you are definitely not on the agreement with the agency and you don't have a written agreement with the LL that says otherwise, you should be fine.

I am not sure that you have to give any notice as a lodger. If LL has been aggressive and broken things not fixed I would be tempted to just leave without paying the week's rent.

LIZS · 02/10/2015 19:33

Is she actually permitted to sublet? HmmI think a week is standard notice for a lodger and why does she get to keep deposit .

Original poster
BibiBlocksberg · 02/10/2015 19:38

BlueJug - so am i but forgot to put in my OP that new place won't be ready until next Friday (no funds left for a b&b)

Pretty sure ll has cash flow problems (don't we all :)) & has spent deposit money & won't be able to pay her full rent to the agent Monday. Would also explain the non fixing of the broken items.

That's not my fault though is it, half tempted to lie & say i lost my job & can't pay more. If i tell her i just don't like living here it'll be another row over the missing weeks money i reckon.

Would rather tell the truth though (if only to avoid tempting fate with a lie like that) :)

OP posts:
HirplesWithHaggis · 02/10/2015 19:39

It doesn't sound as if there's much left to damage! It does sound an absolute nightmare. Since you're not paying the full month anyway, could you fudge around making excuses about having to pay late, end of next week, and then just fuck off on Friday? She still has the deposit (which seems extremely dodgy) but I doubt you'd get that back anyway.

Gah, it's a difficult one, esp as you still have to share living space for a week.

BlueJug · 02/10/2015 19:43

OK it makes sense.

The rules are different though and she will, I suspect, be paying less with you there than she would be if it were a flatshare and you had full rights. ( LL's usually charge a premium for sharers.

She takes responsibility for the let and probably makes a bit of a profit but the downside is that lodgers can leave.

Original poster
BibiBlocksberg · 02/10/2015 19:47

i wondered about the permission from agent as well (sorry, on phone so not easy to scroll & see user names)

I'm not in the main house (it's effectively a done up garage in the garden) so don't have to see her too much.

Don't really want to have to get my stuff out secretly, she's always home anyway so would see me go whenever.

OP posts:
pigsDOfly · 02/10/2015 19:50

If you have someone who could let you sleep on their sofa for a week, in your circumstances, I'd be inclined to pack my stuff over the weekend and disappear.

Looks pretty certain you're not going to get your deposit back anyway so you'll just have to write that off.

Wouldn't be giving her another weeks rent though.

Original poster
BibiBlocksberg · 02/10/2015 19:53

pigsDOfly - have asked everyone i know since i got new place confirmed earlier today but nada.

Really don't want to pay another week but hate sneaking around, lying etc.

Thing is, she is going to hate my guts either way isn't she.....

OP posts:
LadyShirazz · 02/10/2015 19:57

We have a lodger - but am glad to say we are (hopefully) better landlords than yours seems to be! Our en-suite works and everything! Grin

We sign a contract with our lodgers (on our fourth now), as downloaded from Spareroom.co.uk (same site as we use to advertise the room), which states a rolling month's notice on either side - that said, we've always tried to be flexible and never held anyone to that really, or been challenged upon it.

Honestly, if a lodger did this to us - even without due notice and with cause - we'd still never bother doing anything about it either way, though wouldn't recommend in that case (bar emergency circumstances) that they put us down as references either (and your landlady sounds unscrupulous enough to savage you, if you did...).

We count ourselves very lucky to have enjoyed great relations with all of them (even taking into account recent "posh" comment thread!), but then again we do provide decent accommodation and friendliness to boot.

Floggingmolly · 02/10/2015 20:06

Don't pay her another penny. It's her problem she's spent the deposit money, not yours!

Starkswillriseagain · 02/10/2015 20:06

if she's renting her landlord should pay to repair them or organise it. She's obviously letting to you illegally and doesn't want her LL to know and/or she broke the items herself and know she will have to repair them.

YANBU. I'd be asking for my deposit back since the amenities have been unavailable.

Original poster
BibiBlocksberg · 02/10/2015 20:07

Sounds lovely Lady, got a vacancy for a week per chance? :)

I'm not a 'pampered princess' things happen, appliances etc break, that's life

Hate being misled & then attacked for my 'cheek' in asking for what i paid for & no friendliness either. I mostly get ignored when i go into the main house 'hello everybody' ....stony silence from an adult & two kids.

Very confusing tbh.

OP posts:
Original poster
BibiBlocksberg · 02/10/2015 20:12

Mmh, yes to amenities being unavailable, we had a heated discussion around that last night which helped to push me into deciding to definitely go tbh

LL says there is no problem as guest toilet in main house - my argument is i shouldn't have to get dressed just to use the loo at 4am.....or in the pissing rain, felt like i was camping one week :)

Bottom line is, her attitude is 'i don't care, there are facilities here, give me my money'

OP posts:
LadyShirazz · 02/10/2015 21:28

I'd like to think we are fairly nice, fair and reasonable people, and by proxy a nice landlord/lady...

I'd be mortified if even the lodger's toilet were blocked on our watch.

We treat each new lodger to takeaway and drinks on night one as an ice-breaker, and are always happy to chat as well.

It's a business relationship, but when you're living with someone, it's more than that at the same time.

A bit of effort on both sides oils all the wheels that bit more.

Will shout when we get this one moves out - a MN lodger would be amazing!

Starkswillriseagain · 02/10/2015 21:34

Yeah I reckon she's definitely letting illegally, if she tries to get mouthy I would not so innocently suggest talking to the LL or state agent to sort it out. She sounds like a chancer and very unpleasant as a person.

Original poster
BibiBlocksberg · 02/10/2015 21:37

Take-Away?

Bet you give your lodgers more than just the salad drawer in the fridge to store their food? (another issue here lol)

Going to paradise next friday after a long slog of horrible house shares & lodger arrangements so won't need your kind offer lady (i hope!)

Still haven't talked to LL, friend at work suggested telling her i haven't been paid & stringing things along that way.....tempted to go with that in the morning.

:)

OP posts:
Original poster
BibiBlocksberg · 02/10/2015 21:40

:) Starks - was going to suggest to her i'd be happy to talk to agent to explain rent shortfall/lateness

Gut feeling says that offer will not be taken up for reasons you've stated.

OP posts:
wowfudge · 02/10/2015 21:48

She is definitely illegally subletting to you - this is why she won't sort out the loo, etc because it will draw attention to you living there with the owner's agents. I would usually just be straight with someone, but given your position can you think of something else to tell her other than about work?

Starkswillriseagain · 02/10/2015 21:49

Meet her on a level playing field Grin, good going Bibi don't let her guilt you with silence or shout you down. Wishing your the best of luck. Wine

wowfudge · 02/10/2015 21:51

X posts - I was thinking along the line of what Starks suggested too.

Original poster
BibiBlocksberg · 02/10/2015 21:57

I just don't know anymore, my head hurts thinking about it.

She needs to know asap as, everything else aside, she will be over £500 short on Monday, i'd be pissed off too.

I'm happy to pay for the last week to avoid a load of creeping around, lying, hassle etc

I need a reason as to why i will be leaving on friday that won't wind her up further & stop her from harranguing me for the fourth weeks money (think i vaguely remember her mentioning a months notice when i viewed the place)

OP posts:
fastdaytears · 02/10/2015 22:01

Yes she might have mentioned a month's notice but she probably also mentioned you having a loo...