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Original poster

Flatmate wants me to move out so their friend can move in

127 replies

elcsum · 02/05/2021 14:29

As the title says really, but a little bit more complicated. Not sure where I stand.

I live in a shared professional flat with four people. The previous occupant of my room fell out with said flatmate, and left. I moved in 6 months into the tenancy, and when renting the room, said that I did only need the room for the 6 months as I will then be moving to another city.

My plans have changed, and I now need to be in this city for another 12 months. The other flatmates are keen to sign the contract for another 12 months, but the one flatmate (who is head tenant), has made it very clear that my room is not available to renew the lease on. This is because her best friend will be moving in with her partner. She has even announced that the said friend will be moving some things into the sitting room ahead of her tenancy.

Now I know I told them that I only needed to be here for the 6 months, and they probably made plans. But as this is a shared rented flat (none of the tenants own it), surely I have as much of a right to live here next year than they do? The other flatmate often treats the flat like it's hers, and dominates the communal areas.

A reason I want to stay on, is that the flat is a very good deal, and moving somewhere else would easily cost £100 extra a month. Good flats here are very hard to come by. One of the other flatmates is not sure if she will sign again for 12 months, as she doesn't want to live in a four bed flat with five people. Legally speaking too, it is against the HMO lisence and the tenancy, but the flatmate was told that she would pay less council tax as they would only announce four people living there.

Obviously I wouldn't want to live in an environment I'm not welcome in, but I do think it's a bit cheeky...

OP posts:
sausagepastapot · 02/05/2021 16:00

They are definitely being unreasonable, but you did say you only wanted to stay for 6 months, so it would annoy me if you've now changed your mind as they will have needed to get someone to replace you.

I'd move out.

sausagepastapot · 02/05/2021 16:00

And oh yeah I'd also dob them in as a parting gift.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 02/05/2021 16:02

I'd shop them to the council, too. Fuck 'em.

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 02/05/2021 16:08

Definitely move, you do not want 12 months of being treated like crap. Look on spareroom etc to find something else as soon as possible.

Once out I would definitely be notifying the agency of the 5 tenants sharing, name the boyfriend as he will be the one that isn't on the tenancy agreement.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 02/05/2021 16:15

And grass them to the council.

Fundays12 · 02/05/2021 16:16

Move out then report them to the agency and council tax. They have treated you badly and deserve what they get.

AnotherKrampus · 02/05/2021 16:22

I would not want to live in such a setup, even though, you should not have to move out. But would you really want to be in such a toxic climate? I would however let the management company know of their illegal set-up, plus the council regarding the avoidance of council tax.

HoldontoOneMoreDay · 02/05/2021 16:23

I think living somewhere tension free is worth £25 a week to be honest - it'll be a horrible atmosphere.

For those asking about the council tax, what they mean is that five people will be paying it instead of four, saving everyone a bit of money. I've done this in the past - we let a co-tenant move their partner in without telling the LL, they then paid a fifth share of rent, CT and bills to the other tenants rather than the LL. Saved us a fortune!

TakeYourFinalPosition · 02/05/2021 16:24

So there's 4 of you there, and 2 of them aren't happy for you to resign... I wouldn't resign.

Living with people who don't want you there will be tough, the next year will feel like 4.

It's a shame that your circumstances changed after you told them, but I don't think they were unreasonable to make alternate plans.

The 4 people council tax thing makes no sense, so I'll ignore that!

KTheGrey · 02/05/2021 16:25

They sound horrid to live with - and if they haven't been so far, they will be for the next year. Save yourself. But tip off the landlord / management company about the over occupation.
And yes, the council tax will be the same amount, but in theory split five ways ... except this has CF couple written all over it, so this, along with the illegality, will be a lot of hassle for the other flatmates.

Bluntness100 · 02/05/2021 16:25

@Fundays12

Move out then report them to the agency and council tax. They have treated you badly and deserve what they get.
Blimey. How vindicative. And ludicrous. She agreed she wanted to have the room for six months, that was the agreement when she took it on. The fact they don’t want to extend it doesn’t mean they are treating her badly. They have committed the room to someone else because she said she was leaving.
Maggiesfarm · 02/05/2021 16:26

@AnotherKrampus

I would not want to live in such a setup, even though, you should not have to move out. But would you really want to be in such a toxic climate? I would however let the management company know of their illegal set-up, plus the council regarding the avoidance of council tax.
The council tax will be the same however many people occupy the flat.

The management company might want to know if an extra person is shoe'd in, on the other hand they may turn a blind eye as long as the rent is paid.

I think the best solution is for the op to find somewhere else to live and to move out, dignity intact, without grassing up anyone for whatever.

Good luck op, I hope you find somewhere splendid!

Darkstar4855 · 02/05/2021 16:32

What if you were the person who’d made plans to move in and then were told the existing tenant had changed her mind and wanted to stay on?

I think if you moved in specifically saying you only wanted the room for six months then it was reasonable for them to find another tenant to take it after that. It’s not their fault that you changed your mind and they shouldn’t have to let their prospective tenant down and then have the stress of having to find someone else six months later when you finally do move out.

The fact that two people want to move in rather than one is irrelevant.

SkiingIsHeaven · 02/05/2021 16:36

Just move out. Similar happened to me and it is just not worth the agro. They will make you feel really unwelcome and tense and that is no way to live. Life is too short. Good luck.

Bluntness100 · 02/05/2021 16:37

@Darkstar4855

What if you were the person who’d made plans to move in and then were told the existing tenant had changed her mind and wanted to stay on?

I think if you moved in specifically saying you only wanted the room for six months then it was reasonable for them to find another tenant to take it after that. It’s not their fault that you changed your mind and they shouldn’t have to let their prospective tenant down and then have the stress of having to find someone else six months later when you finally do move out.

The fact that two people want to move in rather than one is irrelevant.

Exactly, the other person has the room committed, so will have made whatever plans to move in. The op has no entitlement here
ElphabaTWitch · 02/05/2021 16:38

Speak to person you have agreement and tenancy with ie management company. If they are happy for you to stay then you can stay

YankeeDad · 02/05/2021 16:40

Life is too short to live in a toxic environment, unless that extra £100 would make the difference between you having enough to eat, or not.

At best you would be part of a 2 versus 3 ("head" tenant, partner and "head" tenant's friend) where you are not part of the 3.

Plus, if there are 5 people living in it with a limit of 4 then you might be partly on the hook for any extra costs or fines potentially caused by that (or you might not; I don't know the rules around this).

Sounds like an unpleasant drama worth avoiding, even at the cost of an extra £100 / month.

Freecuthbert · 02/05/2021 16:41

The lead tenant sounds nasty and domineering. I would rather lose out on £100 a month because I have a feeling that if you stay they will make things difficult for you which really isn't worth it.

Flowers500 · 02/05/2021 16:44

You don’t have an option to stay. Because a group would need to approach landlord and sign for it, this group doesn’t include you. So unless you try to get yourself evicted (which would be a huge mistake) you have to leave. And the new lease won’t include you.

saraclara · 02/05/2021 16:45

@Darkstar4855

What if you were the person who’d made plans to move in and then were told the existing tenant had changed her mind and wanted to stay on?

I think if you moved in specifically saying you only wanted the room for six months then it was reasonable for them to find another tenant to take it after that. It’s not their fault that you changed your mind and they shouldn’t have to let their prospective tenant down and then have the stress of having to find someone else six months later when you finally do move out.

The fact that two people want to move in rather than one is irrelevant.

Exactly. It would be exceptionally vindictive to report the lead tenant, when this is entirely down to OP changing her mind, about the verbal contract she entered into.
Pinkpaisley · 02/05/2021 16:51

Your subletting. Your term is ending. You don’t have a right to renew.

If you want to be petty, you can turn them in to the council or landlord on your way out

IntermittentParps · 02/05/2021 16:52

Verbal contract my arse. No one signed anything saying the OP was only entitled to the room for 6 months, so she's not done anything wrong by now requiring it for longer. She didn't do it deliberately to throw a spanner in the works.

Having said that, this tenant sounds like more trouble than they're worth. I'd look for a new room and suck up the extra rent if it came to it. And definitely tell the management company they plan to move an illegal extra person in.

GreyhoundG1rl · 02/05/2021 16:54

But op isn't on the tenancy? She's got no rights at all, never mind the right to change her mind at the last minute.

Devlesko · 02/05/2021 16:59

This sounds too dodgy, get your own place.

Szyz2020 · 02/05/2021 17:01

If bossy flatmate #1 and flatmate #2 are also a (semi-)couple and flatmate #3 leaves you’ll be stuck with 2 couples who are mates. #1 already dominates the communal areas. It’ll be awful. Plus unfair if #newflatmate-and-partner don’t pay their way individually.

I’d join with your other flatmate and leave together. The bossy one can move her friends in and they can all foot a 1/4 bill each.