Would she BU to charge her full price?

[Threeboysandus]

My mum has a long term foreign student. She was arranged through an English school to stay with my mum from sept until May. The student pays my mum directly and then school directly for lessons. She is paying my mum 165euro a week for all meals and stay pkus my mum cooks for her and washes clothes etc. She told my mum a while ago she would be going home for three weeks for Xmas. My mum assumed she would still pay her rent. A couple of weeks ago she asked my mum could she not pay for the three weeks but my mam said she needed the cash, she eventually agreed to take 30 off seeing as she won't need to pay for her extra food.

Then last week the student told my mum that she was told by the school to ask for more off and that most the other students 'host parents' we're only charging 80. My mum said to let her think about it. Then today she told her that she couldn't afford to drop it to 80 but would lower it to 125 a week for the three weeks. My mum also rang the school and had words with the teacher for discussing it with the students as they had not mentioned it when originally booking her stay.

My mum and student had a big chat this evening and student is adamant that she shouldn't pay more then 80. My mum said she can't afford it and had she been told at the start she could have organised it and saved the money. The student is threatening to move out if it is not lowered. My mum depends on the Money but also hates being threatened like this..

If the contract says Sept-May then the student should pay for that time period regardless of whether they are there or not.

I think the relationship between them has been damaged and your mum should look for a new student lodger.

I'd tell her the rent is due in full or it can be reduced for the 3 weeks but then will be increasing by £20 per week for the remainder of the term!
This student wouldn't expect there to be an increase outside of the agreement why do they think they are entitled to a reduction?

Does she want repeat business from the school?

When I was a student in halls, holidays were included in some halls but not others as some (the nice ones)were used for conferences when the students weren't there.

If her contract doesn't mention the holidays then she should be paying for them. It's probably worth your mum making sure she clarifies this upfront with her future lodgers, so they can budget accordingly (not saying she's in the wrong, just that she should be able to avoid dealing with this every December by making it ultra clear in September)

Of course it's frustrating having to pay rent &bills when you're not there, but that's life. My landlord and council don't care whether I'm on holiday, I still have to pay rent and council tax.

It's not your mum's fault that the student wants to go home for 3 weeks. It doesn't mean it is okay for her to go back on the rental agreement.

I suggested looking for a lodger buy my mam lives in an apt and feels she would lose control of the place with a lodger. With the student, she serves dinner every night at same time so doesn't have two people trying to cook etc.

Yes 165 is the norm for food and keep.

I live in a University town that has lots of foreign students. Every college approaches holidays differently but each have their own rules. Some pay for half term hols (whether students are there or not) but don't pay Xmas, Easter and Summer hols. Some pay 50% board through the longer holiday. Some students don't/can't return home in the longer hols so ask to stay on and if they can they pay the normal rate. It's just how it is I'm afraid, unless you have a contract with a tenant directly you follow the colleges rules. It's a learning curve. If you find a good college with fair rates all year it is worth sticking with them.

The problem is that this is not a straightforward rent agreement as all sorts of services such as cooking, food, laundry etc are included as well as lighting, heating etc

I can see the student's point of view that she should not be required to pay for the services not used like food/laundry and if it was a "normal" rental her electric and heating costs would also be lower if you were away for 3 weeks

Her stuff's stallion the room, the contract says September to May - the reduction your mother offers os a goodwill concession. I would tell the student to bugger off. Know your mother will find the money useful esp in the Xmas period, but the student will be able to hold this over her in future, and may also tell the next student staying at you mother's how to beat her down and keep the extra cash. the student has already budgeted for this - and sodas your mother. The 40 quid off is enough.

*still in, not stallion (how do these things happen?)

I'm with the student on this one. This isn't like renting a flat or something where you pay regardless of whether you're there or not. When I was a student in Ireland (I'm guessing this is where you are?) I stayed in 'digs' for the first term or two, and we only ever paid while we were there, not for holidays or time away. I know that's 20 yrs ago but it sounds like the same sort of set up. Your Mum doesn't have any expenses while the student is away, and would be free to take another lodger in for those 3 weeks. I think for the student to pay a retainer on her room is fair and your Mum's budgetary issues are not her problem. I don't think it is 'threatening' to say she will look for somewhere else, if you aren't happy with your accommodation for whatever reason you move out.

Just because you're on holiday, it doesn't mean you don't pay your mortgage. When I had digs at uni, I still paid rent during the holidays because otherwise I would lose my place.

OP - your mum has offered a reduction due to food and bills. She should dick with the amount now or look for a new student. The current student should have been more upfront initially about holidays and payments.

Student should pay.

£165pw for lodging, all meals, laundry service is bloody good value. £125pw is a fair offer during the holiday as student has agreed to rent during Sep to May and not stated that holiday periods are exempt from payment.

Next time around, this needs to be agreed up front in the contract. It seems odd that the college would think it normal to have a considerable reduction unless this was what others were doing. I guess the issue is now to deal with this time, and your mum needs to calculate how much hassle it is to get another student, how nice this one is, and whether there might be a gap (you'd only need a gap of two weeks to make it not worth it). It might be worth going for £80 this time around (as it's half the money, so rent only, no other services), and then remembering to clarify this next year. They are essentially arguing over 135 euros, about £100 and it might just not be worth it given the mistake has now already been made (in not agreeing this upfront).

I rent office space but never go in on a Sunday, I didn't ask to pay 6/7ths of the rent that was asked for. Agree she should pay and graciously accept the discount your mum had offered.

Her stuff is in room and she has 4 massive suitcases full of stuff! But to be fair, today during the talk, she said she will take her stuff home with her if my mum changed her mind.

Yes my mum will make a contract including Xmas next time. It's her first time getting one like this. Normally when it is trough school, she is paid by school. This is the first time she has been paid directly from student.

Honestly, I'm with the sudent on this, but then I went to Madrid to study for a year and have been the student in this situation. I was offered either help to find a private let/flatshare or a "homestay" set up where I would pay a set amount to my host for board, meals, laundry ... however it was clearly set out in the contract what the cost break down was, any house rules and arrangements for holidays made clear as soon as I arrived.

For example, the contract was that I was provided with breakfast and dinner and I was responsible for lunches (as most days I would get lunch at school) , but at weekends, I could be provided with lunches too, for an additional cost of X, provided the host was informed by noon on Friday

In regard to the school holidays, iirc my contract (which was based on a template the school provided to all homestay hosts that were registered with them for their students) stipulated that I had to give my host a certain amount of time as notice as to whether I was staying or going home outside of termtime, but if I was going home then I would only be required to pay the "lodgings" part of my "board and lodgings" charge as I wwasn't actually going to be using any of the other "services" that the charge covered, and if I was going for part of the holidays then the charges would be adjusted to cover the time I was there vs the time I was away.

So for example if I was paying the €165 p/w your mother charges, that would have been broken down in the contract to: €80 room, €30 for bills (elec/water/gas/tv/internet etc), €30 for food, €25 for laundry/cleaning. As per the contract I would have only had to pay €80 p/w over the Xmas holidays as I would not be using any of the other "services". The whole reason for a homestay over a flatshare/finding own accommoation was billed that it was more of a family style of hosting, and therefore was more flexible than just signing a contract with a random landlord for 1 year.