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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Shouldn't have to pay bills if temporarily moved out?

113 replies

riveted1 · 15/04/2020 12:28

I will try and keep this non-biased :D

Person A & B in flatshare.

A was originally splitting time between flat and DPs place, eventually due to the CV situation decided to spend lockdown at DPs. B remained in the flat.

Person A feels she shouldn't need to pay bills during this time as she isn't in the flat and shouldn't contribute for that reason (to internet, gas, heating). Person B feels she should, as A hasn't moved out and doesn't have plans to, once lockdown is lifted she will come back to the flat. Person A is already quite relaxed with lockdown and has wanted to pop back to flat multiple times, and so if measures were relaxed would probably continue.

For added info, person A does not pay rent/bills at DPs and has not worked for last couple of years as has wealthy family. However, she already feels it's unfair to be paying rent on a property she isn't living in currently, let alone bills on top.

From person Bs perspective, she has friends who would move into spare room if A moved out, meaning she would be able to completely split rent/bills. Person B (like many of us), is potentially facing job loss and financial struggles, so this is more of a factor to her.

Current lockdown guidelines state that genuinely moving house ("measured in days not hours") is reasonable, so changing household is still currently acceptable!

OP posts:

Yogawoogie · 15/04/2020 12:50

A still has a room so should still pay. B could fill room if A no longer lives there.

A shouldn’t be popping back and forth and should stay wherever they’ve decided to stay in lockdown.

HoneyBee03 · 15/04/2020 12:54

A definitely needs to keep paying her share of the bills. Similar happened to me when I was a student and my housemate assumed I would cover all the bills over the holidays when she went to stay with her family. I argued that if I could afford to live on my own I would have got my own place, and that was what finally got it through to her.

When she started being more fair about it I was happy to stick a bit extra on the electric meter when she wasn't there. But for everything else we split.

ScorpionQueen · 15/04/2020 12:54

Of course A should pay. B should also think about getting a new flat mate at some point. A is a taker.

Lazypuppy · 15/04/2020 12:55

Gas and electeic aren't fixed bills, just change dd amount. Person A shouldn't pay those as she isn't using them.
Everything else such as council tax etc she should be paying half still

Floralnomad · 15/04/2020 12:55

A should pay or move out completely . As judge Judy would say if your toothbrush is there then you are there .

JasonPollack · 15/04/2020 12:56

She's being a dick. Either she boxes up her stuff and takes it or she lives there and needs to pay bills.

theotherfossilsister · 15/04/2020 13:00

She should absolutely pay. Sorry you're going through this.

cabbageking · 15/04/2020 13:00

The standing charges remain whether she is there or not. She should contribute to keep things ticking over.
The heating helps the fabric of the house.

I would expect to not be paying for food but a reasonable contribution to keep things safe and ticking over would be fair.

theotherfossilsister · 15/04/2020 13:00

Although I think I can see why it's nice to not have her around, if she has this kind of attitude.

monkeymonkey2010 · 15/04/2020 13:01

person A does not pay rent/bills at DPs and has not worked for last couple of years as has wealthy family. However, she already feels it's unfair to be paying rent on a property she isn't living in currently, let alone bills on top

A needs a reality check!
She is CHOOSING to stay at her DP's - she hasn't been 'forced' out for any reason so the contract still stands, she's liable for rent and bills.
I can't believe her entitlement! She wants YOU to pay to keep her room in the house reserved for whenever she decides to return permanently.......and in the meantime you pay so she can use it as storage and like a hotel?

No!
What's your landlord got to say about it?

Tell A as long as she's on the rental agreement she pays her share - or moves out properly so you can get a paying housemate.
Tell her you don't have family paying your way in life and will NOT enable her entitled behaviour - pay up or ship out.

Kazzyhoward · 15/04/2020 13:01

A small reduction in the share of bills paid is all that is justified as presumably some utilities are cheaper now that only person B is living there full time, such as less power use and less metered water use. But most of the costs will continue at similar levels, so A needs to contribute to those. It's not fair if B has to pay all bills when they went into the arrangement thinking they'd only pay half. As a finger in the air idea, I'd suggest that A pays a quarter and B pays three quarters for periods when A isn't there. It's a fair compromise.

theotherfossilsister · 15/04/2020 13:02

Does the lease say anything about bills?

clareOclareO · 15/04/2020 13:03

A is taking the piss. A could move out properly but has chosen not to, so B can't get another housemate.

B doesn't have to suffer from A's choice.

WaxOnFeckOff · 15/04/2020 13:03

Whilst there may be a slight reduction in some bills, electricty and gas. Standing charges and costs that apply across the flat e.g. heating and internet etc are pretty fixed. Person B is not the one who has chosen to stay somewhere else so it's not fair for them to expect to pick up 100% of shared charges that she expected to 50% of. Person A needs to pay up or move out allowing Person B to fill the empty room with someone to share the bills.

I'd deduct £10 off the overall charge for bilsl and then charge £10 for storage of person A stuff - presuming she has things in the shared area.

YANBU OP Person B.

Billben · 15/04/2020 13:03

A is a cheeky bastard. The sooner B gets rid of her the better.

KitKat1985 · 15/04/2020 13:06

A is being a dick. She has an agreement to pay x amount the whole time she is occupying the room regardless of whether she is staying at her boyfriends or not intermittently inbetween, since presumably her stuff is still there so no-one else can have the room. If she was renting the flat on her own does she think the landlord would accept her not paying rent every time she stayed with her boyfriend - of course not!

Either she pays the agreed amount or she needs to officially give notice to move out so person A can get a new flatmate to bill share with.

Staypositivepeople · 15/04/2020 13:07

a has to pay her half share obviously

Fifthtimelucky · 15/04/2020 13:08

I agree A should be paying. My daughter is in a house share in London. She is in the same position as A as she came home before the lockdown. B, C and D are still in the house.

It has not occurred to her that she should not be paying her normal share of the bills. She came home for her convenience, and the others should not be suffering for her choice.

lilmishap · 15/04/2020 13:09

Then there are all those hours when A is asleep is it fair that A has to pay bills for time when she is asleep?
The time she spends at the shop or socialising, should she be forced to pay for that fraction of the bills?

YES obviously she should fucking pay it or she gets thrown out for non payment.

ThusSpoke · 15/04/2020 13:09

Does A get a discount on bills when she goes on holiday too?

Yelllow · 15/04/2020 13:09

A should still be paying definitely!

onanothertrain · 15/04/2020 13:10

A should pay and B should not move a friend in until A officially moves out. A's wealth is irrelevant as is B's work situation. It's clear you are B.

Alsohuman · 15/04/2020 13:10

A needs to continue paying. Why on earth wouldn’t they?

Devlesko · 15/04/2020 13:13

A should still pay, and move out if they don't want future bills, and giving suitable notice.
Then checks and deposit back.

lilmishap · 15/04/2020 13:13

As a finger in the air idea, I'd suggest that A pays a quarter and B pays three quarters for periods when A isn't there. It's a fair compromise

A fairer compromise would be A moves out so that B can get a flatmate who understands 50/50. That way B hasn't been left in the poop after going to the hassle of getting a flatmate to split costs 50/50 with only to end up paying more than half

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