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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU to use rent money

162 replies

DoorMat1010 · 02/07/2016 07:20

Suddenly my car needs a lot of work. It's used on a daily basis and I can't get round it, I need it for work.

There's around £450 worth of repairs to be done to the car and rent is £500.

Obviously I'll speak to the agency first but for the last 3 years I've paid rent on time or even a week earlier.

I can pay the overdue off over the next 10 months at £50 a month.

Feel like I'm up shits creek without a paddle.

WIBU to do it?

OP posts:
JoandMax · 02/07/2016 13:52

I hope you're feeling ok OP, I think a lot of the responses on here have been pretty harsh.....

In an ideal world we'd all have contingency funds, backup transport and zero debt but life's not like that! You're in a rough patch and trying your best to sort it out.

Reiterating what I said earlier and others have said as a landlord I would try and help find a solution if you approached me and explained your situation. Contrary to popular belief we're not all money grabbing heartless people looking for any reason to kick you out.

AlwaysDancing1234 · 02/07/2016 13:58

I'm sorry but it's always "pay the rent first" in my book. My father drummed that in to me from teenage years and it's stood me in good stead. Even when I've been living on beans and toast at least I never had to worry about a roof over my head.
Can a friend/relative/bank lend you money?

JoandMax · 02/07/2016 14:04

But if the OP can't pay to fix her car how can she get to work?? She's said there's no public transport....

If she loses her job it'll be a lot more than 1 months rent she can't pay!

specialsubject · 02/07/2016 15:23

Evicting a tenant costs so from a purely Mathematical point of view, the landlord would be better being you work out a payment plan. Get in touch on Monday.

It does sound like long term you can't afford your current outgoings.

GlassBrexiteer · 02/07/2016 15:38

you living in a rented property is paying someone's mortgage, do you think it's fair to them that they go without? They also may have important bills to pay. YABU and selfish
if a landlord has such small margins that they will suffer if one months rent is late then they didnt think their business plan through very well did they

dont think about the landlords problems, he or she is running a business, think about your own long term interests, you need a car to get to work and earn money, your landlord doesnt want to lose a good tenant or have the trouble and expanse of evicting you.

I agree with Specialsubject ..... it sounds as if you are operating on dangerously thin margins yourself

GlassBrexiteer · 02/07/2016 15:41

Rent is the priority now I try and build up a credit with the rent, I pay extra every month, in case of lean times

I can see that it makes good sense to have an emergency fund, but could you not put it in a bank account and earn a bit of interest (yes I know rates are very low :( )

AppleMagic · 02/07/2016 15:51

Do you have a fixed term or rolling tenancy, OP? I'd be very wary of doing this if you are coming to the end of a fixed tenancy or if you are already on a rolling tenancy. You'd be signalling to your landlord that either you don't see rent as a priority, or you are really out of financial options. Either way, as a landlord it would make me very nervous that you were about to become a nightmare tenant and I would be significantly less likely to renew/extend your tenancy.

But if you are locked into your tenancy for a while and have a chance to prove it was a one off then it would factor less it to my decision making at renewal time.

I don't think the repayment terms you are suggesting are high enough either, I'd be wanting you to make up the arrears in two months minimum.

Original poster
DoorMat1010 · 02/07/2016 15:53

I've spoken to landlord asked to pay half rent. He's said yeah. I'm currently on the process of refurbish the garden (I'm doing it, and building fences myself so very little cost). And I'm not even 1/4 the way through and it looks fab so far (if I do say so myself!!) so I think he's more lenient because he knows the work I'm putting in to his property.

DH has also offered to help me.

So I can sort car out.

I've not read half the responses but I can guess most of them.

I work in the community going from home to home so public transport is not suitable.

OP posts:
purpleshortcake · 02/07/2016 15:53

See if you can find a small local garage that would let you split the payment for the repairs to your car...someone might be sympathetic x

PurpleDaisies · 02/07/2016 15:56

DH has also offered to help me.

Why wouldn't you have just gone straight to your dh to ask? Confused

ChicRock · 02/07/2016 16:03

DH has also offered to help me

Are you serious? Confused

GlassBrexiteer · 02/07/2016 16:05

surely your husband would automatically help, being as a marriage is a partnership where you pool resources for mutual benefit?

EachandEveryone · 02/07/2016 16:06

Thats what i thought too. I wouldnt have involved the landord at All and ive had the same one for years. He wont be massivelfy bothered about the fence, he doesnt live there. Does your DH know your money worries?

DinosaursRoar · 02/07/2016 16:07

Did you mean to type parents or partner that doesn't live with you rather than DH ?!? Surely if you are married and your husband has the money for your joint rent, he'd pay it rather than go into arrears as a couple, even if it's normally you that pays it?!

If there is a partner who lives in the house who has the money for the rent, then yes, it should be paid.

ChicRock · 02/07/2016 16:15

I can't believe you'd ask your LL can you pay half rent before you'd ask your husband, who presumably benefits from living in the property, to stump up the cash.

That's seriously shabby.

LadyStarkOfWinterfell · 02/07/2016 16:23

Wtf? You have asked your landlord to pay half rent when you have a husband who earns money?

GlassBrexiteer · 02/07/2016 16:24

the half rent is the half that your husband pays right?
He's insisting that the other half has to come out of your wages and he wont contribute anything towards the cost of the car because he doesnt get any direct benefit from the car?

am I right?

AyeAmarok · 02/07/2016 16:26

DH has also offered to help me.

Hmm
witsender · 02/07/2016 16:33

Dittoing the DH eyebrow raises.

snowgirl29 · 02/07/2016 16:43

Can your DH not help? Why is he only offering to help you out? Confused .

travellinglighter · 02/07/2016 16:44

If you have a good credit score then there are credit cards that will give you interest free on any purchases for the first few months (barclaycard did it for me). Apply for a £500 limit and as you pay it off, reduce the limit so you aren’t tempted to use it more. if you don’t pay it off before the interest free time ends, transfer to another interest free card.
Hope this helps.

MrsSpecter · 02/07/2016 16:46

Woahh! You have a husband who can pay this for you?? Why on earth wasnt he your first port of call?

PassiveAgressiveQueen · 02/07/2016 16:47

From a landlords perspective if you'd been a good reliable tenant for 3 years then if you spoke to me in advance and gave me that proposal I would have on issue with it.

As a landlord if you came to me i would accept this plan with a proviso it can come out of your deposit if you leave early.

SabineUndine · 02/07/2016 16:48

Is there a credit union near you? If you're in London there's this one www.creditunion.co.uk/ interest rates much lower than a bank loan and they are more sympathetic than banks too.

BMW6 · 02/07/2016 16:52

You didn't ask your DH for help before your LL??????? Confused

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