To ask if someone can explain month up front to me?

[Poliomolio2]

Basically during covid we got slightly behind on our rent, our agency was completely okay with this and said once it's sorted we can find a way to pay back.

We are due to renew our tenancy next month, they state if we want to leave they will take it out of the deposit

In our last property and this one we paid a month upfront, last time the last month (so this time would be next month's) was free as we paid in hand.

Surely, if this is the case again, they can take it out of that money rather than our deposit? Or if I pay in full this and next month, I'll get both back?

Is this correct?? I'm so confused!

So you moved in on the 22nd July, paid deposit and a months rent. You then paid another months rent on the 22nd August, and so on. Honestly I can’t see why you then think the last month would be free? The month ‘up front’ you paid at the beginning covers the first month that you live there.
I have rented many, many houses and never not paid in the last month. Unless you mean you pay on say the 22nd June and move out on the 22nd July, so you don’t pay on the 22nd July?

@mencken yes I understand that now but people are stating they are paying on the last month of their tenancy which we never have done due to paying that month in hand. This is what im trying to figure out haha but all the different options/replies is getting me into a tizz.

We do want to leave so are going to pay this month in full then pay our outstanding rent next month on the last month of our tenancy to then move out at the end of July but from what people are stating, we are then going to need to pay £775 (rent outstanding) plus £725 which is our normal rent on top? But surely that's what the month in hand is about? I'm now more confused then ever

@Drivingdownthe101 yes that's what i mean, the last month we have not paid previously I.e that's what i mean by 'free' month as we did not pay a penny that last month. So in theory we now still owe 2 months rent after this month??

So on July 22nd 2019 you paid deposit + 1 month (which was technically aug)
So you then paid in aug, sept, Oct, nov, dec, jan, feb, mar, April, May, jun?? Which in theory would mean you are paid up until the end of July??

However you say you owe rent!? How much do you owe??

You give notice to leave just before you pay your final month. Normally you have to give a months notice.

The month up front means you pay for the month ahead each month. So for instance you pay on the day you move in, and that covers you for the coming month. Then your next payment which will be a month after you moved in will cover the second month going forwards.

Usually when you give your notice with your final payment for that last month, you won't be paying at the end when you move out.

But as you are in effect a month short of rent, and this has to be covered. The landlord suggesting using your deposit will cover the shortfall.

What it means is at the end of the tenancy, apart from final bills you shouldn't have anything to pay as you have paid for what you've used before you use it IYSWIM

@elephantsbreath2 this is what I'm trying to confirm (after now getting the gist that we will still need to pay the outstanding rent)

We owe £775 which is just over a full month. I'm trying to understand that, if i pay full in June, do u need to pay full again in July on top of the £775

No OP because your June payment is for July as such so you just need to pay the arrears. You don't have "free month as such" you are paying a month ahead.

@elephantsbreath2 thank you for the clarification! So yes I pay this month, pay £775 next month then should get deposit back if (it is!) everything is in order with property.

@planningaheadtoday Okay, so yes, i would give notice, then pay our final month then next month pay the outstanding and then leave on the last day of the tenancy? Yes I totally get what you are saying thank you

Yes OP as far as I can see that's how I would understand it.

Your deposit isn't designed to pay your last month's rent, it's designed to pay for any damage to the property when you move out. Plus it should be held in a deposit protection scheme, and unable to be used as rent.

Sounds like you need to pay €725 arrears, then €725 for July. Then, your deposit will be returned if property is undamaged. So you'll get €725 back.
OR
If the landlord is happy with the way the property is being maintained they'll keep the deposit in lieu of arrears. You make a single payment of €725.

Either way you'll be paying €725. You can also pay the €725 arrears and get it back again as returned deposit, but you don't have to do this if your landlord agrees.

@LizzieAnt So what about the month we paid up front? Where does that go then? That's what I'm trying to clarify, as we never paid on our last month's previously but obviously never had outstanding rent. I'd of assumed we pay £725 this month, the outstanding of £775 next month then get the deposit back?

Sorry, should have said 775 for the arrears portion!

The month you pay upfront pays for the first month you live there.

Just had confirmation from LL, yes if we pay this month and then the full outstanding next month we do not need to pay any more on top or an extra month next month.

Thank you all for trying to explain it! (lack of sleep and a 6 month old plus baby brain isn't making it easy for me to understand lol!)

@Drivingdownthe101 we paid the first month we lived there 😊

If you're leaving at the end of July you make your last rent payment at the end of June as you always pay for the coming month. After this you owe them arrears and they owe you your deposit

Ok, so you still need to pay for one month to take you to 21st July, but minus the equivalent extra days you paid. What date was payment changed to?

@Net123456 okay brilliant, thank you 😊

@dontdisturbmenow the date was changed to the last working day of the month but we already have paid the extra chunk towards this. So, pay full rent this month then the outstanding arrears in full next month if we do leave and then move on the last day of July

Set out all the dates and amounts clearly, and we may be able to help better. As I see it you have paid the following:

22 July 2019 = £725 for month to 22 August
22 August 2019 = £725 + 8 days for month to 30 September
30 September 2019 = £725 for month to 31 October
31 October 2019 = £725 for month to 30 November
30 November 2019 = £725 for month to 31 December
31 December 2019 = £725 for month to 31 January
31 January 2020 = £725 for month to 28 February
28 February 2020 = £725 for month to 31 March
31 March 2020 = £725 for month to 30 April
30 April 2020 = part rent for month to 31 May
31 May 2020 = part rent for month to 30 June
30 June 2020= £725 for month to 31 July

Then you will move out in July, with no further payments of rent due.

You therefore need to pay for your July rent on 30 June 2020, plus a further £725 to top up the underpaid rent (which it seems they will just take out of your deposit).

So your last rent payment will be 30 June 2020, provided you move out in July.

Just ring your landlord and ask how much you owe ect so much easier we pay in advance so rent due say 1st that it for that month, due again on first by that time no advanced rent until you pay again and it's a month in advance, again then a week later is 3 weeks advance 2 weeks advance ect so you only need to pay last payment due a month before for your notice and they will owe you the deposit back. And any money owed

Sorry OP, I'm probably confusing things. Think of it like this, if you're there 12 months you pay 12 months rent plus a refundable deposit at the start. So, for simplicity, someone moving in on 1st Jan would pay (say) £1450 (725 rent +725 deposit). On Feb 1st they would pay 725 again etc. On Dec 1st they'd pay £725, move out at the end of that month, and, once property was checked for damage, receive their £725 deposit back then. Is that what you have done? Total paid for the year =12 x£725 plus a £725 deposit paid in advance and returned when leaving. (The deposit may be not be returned in the case of property damage though. The deposit isn't rent, it's paid so the landlord has some comeback against property damage.) It seems you have some arrears, but the landlord is happy to keep your deposit in lieu if you wish, as they must be confident you're maintaining the property well.

So you paid £725 on 22nd July, then £800somthing on 31th of August and £725 on 30th September.

You now need to pay £725 - 8 days to end the tenancy on the 21st, plus of course what you owe in arrears.

the last month of living there was free
I think you are very confused.
There is never a free month of rent. Paying a month 'up front' simply means you pay at the start of the month, rather than the end. If you are in arrears, that needs to be cleared.

There won't be any extra, except from the deposit, so long as there isn't anything to be claimed from the deposit due to the condition of the property.

Add up the full year's rent. Work out what you've paid. What's left is what you owe.