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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Landlord now wants one payment, not six. Aibu?

34 replies

riddledwith · 16/12/2023 10:59

My daughter (19) is in her first student rental with 5 uni friends. It is a joint and several contract, with parents as guarantors. The contract was silent about the payment arrangements so they have each been paying their share separately since September. Now the landlord has asked them to make a single payment instead. DD says she doesn't mind volunteering to be the rent contact and collect/pay the money. She says she trusts her friends to pay her. However, aibu, to think they should say no because:

  • this is about making the landlord's life easier, not theirs, and they are not required by the contract to agree.
  • If one or more of her friends make a late payment, she will either need to delay the whole payment (incurring interest after 2 weeks) or go into overdraft. She will also need to chase her friend for the money which will be stressful.
  • Under the current arrangement, if a tenant defaults it will be obvious who the landlord should chase first, but if DD is everyone's rent agent the landlord may chase her (and therefore me) first.
OP posts:
Dacadactyl · 16/12/2023 11:02

I wouldn't get involved with this and I'd tell the landlord no way. Under no circumstances would I encourage DD to be the contact.

LL needs to accept separate payments.

Homesweethome23 · 16/12/2023 11:23

if each individual tenant has a contract with the amount they need to pay on it then the should continue to all pay separately to the landlord every month.
I would not let your daughter take on the responsibility of paying the full amount each month especially as you are a guarantor that’s not what you signed up for.

10HailMarys · 16/12/2023 11:24

It’s not at all normal for a landlord renting to students to want a single rent payment. They’re separate tenants and should be paying rent accordingly.

Candleabra · 16/12/2023 11:25

No way. Don’t even entertain this. Any problems, refer the landlord to the contract.

FedUpMumof10YO · 16/12/2023 11:27

God no. Absolutely not. I would not even entertain this.

If that's what the landlord wanted he should have made that clear from the get go. Or not rent to uni students.

Hellocatshome · 16/12/2023 11:27

Nope I wouldn't touch this with a barge pole.

ActDottie · 16/12/2023 11:32

YABU just because this was the normal way to pay when I went to uni. I was the rent collector and sorted everything out. Then I know my other friends also had to pay in one payment.

AnonnyMouseDave · 16/12/2023 11:34

I think I am right in saying that all five are responsible for the entire rent, and all five guarantors are responsible for the entire rent. Legally the landlord can come after your daughter and you for the other four people's share of the rent even if your daughter is the only one paying, whether the rent is paid in 5 amounts or all paid by your daughter.

As it is one contract with one rent then the landlord is reasonable to want one payment per month. But if it's not specified in the contract then I don;t see how he can enforce it. He can ask nicely, but there's nothing he can do other than serve notice at the end of the fixed period, or wait for the rent to not get paid and take action to evict.

"Under the current arrangement, if a tenant defaults it will be obvious who the landlord should chase first" - you are right, but the should is moral not legal - the landlord has every right to go after whoever he thinks he can get to pay with the minimum of hassle.

TheCave · 16/12/2023 11:39

Does the contract express the required amount as one single total (i.e. the amount that all 5 students together pay) or as 5 separate amounts? If the latter then surely the contract supports separate payments.

marmaladeandpeanutbutter · 16/12/2023 11:41

Do not advise your dd to be that person, if it happens. I've heard a great many stories where some don't pay/pay late/ accuse the contact of nagging. It's a nightmare.

Seeline · 16/12/2023 11:44

This happened to my DS in one of his student houses. They all just said no.....
Nothing happened - I guess it was easier for the LL to have 6 payments than having to find 6 new tenants 🤷🏼‍♀️

roses2 · 16/12/2023 11:44

Why Is the landlord asking, is one person already consistently late and he’s fed up chasing?

I see his point but don’t let your daughter be that girl! She needs to find out from the landlord why the change and tell the person who’s causing the issues to fix it.

SamphiretheTervosaurReturneth · 16/12/2023 11:49

Tell her no. Tell him no

Send his email to the University Housing Officer and ask for their support. This is part of their remit.

What the landlord is asking is ridiculous and attempts to override their contracts. The university should be able to help mediate, at the very least. He won't want to be blacklisted by them! He doesn't hol all the power here

Original poster
riddledwith · 16/12/2023 11:53

"Under the current arrangement, if a tenant defaults it will be obvious who the landlord should chase first"- you are right, but the should is moral not legal - the landlord has every right to go after whoever he thinks he can get to pay with the minimum of hassle.

Yes, I know this, though in practical terms they will go after the one who is most likely to cave in and pay up quickly. It means she (or I) will probably need to get in touch with the defaulter's parent guarantor to sort it out, rather than the landlord contacting them direct.

OP posts:
Original poster
riddledwith · 16/12/2023 11:55

TheCave · 16/12/2023 11:39

Does the contract express the required amount as one single total (i.e. the amount that all 5 students together pay) or as 5 separate amounts? If the latter then surely the contract supports separate payments.

It expresses it as single, but doesn't say it needs to be transferred as one payment.

OP posts:
MrsSkylerWhite · 16/12/2023 11:57

This is one of the reasons we arranged individual accommodation.

Zoreos · 16/12/2023 11:58

YANBU. Tell him not in the contract, not your obligation to fulfil and keep as you are. Teachable moment for Mr Landlord. I would be very wary of someone who attempts to move the goalposts after a contract has been signed. This could be an avenue for more unnecessary hassle if you agree to this.

easylikeasundaymorn · 16/12/2023 11:59

absolutely don't do it.
She's got nothing to gain by doing it, and a lot to potentially lose. Particularly if she doesn't want to stay in the house next year there is no incentive not to keep paying the way they have, landlord can't kick them out early if they haven't breached the contract.
Even if they want to stay next year it's unlikely that landlord will chuck out good tenants just for this, although may require them to sign a new contract that specifies they have to make one joint payment, but cross that bridge when she comes to it.

RitaFromThePitCanteen · 16/12/2023 12:02

Hell no. My landlord made me do this when I was in a house share in my early 20s and it was an absolute nightmare. Not just because of the non-payers and the absolutely relentless chasing, but also because my housemates started to resent me and treat me like I was the landlord myself. One of them acted like I was unreasonable for not covering their rent for them upfront and not allowing them to pay me back some time in the future (I literally couldn't afford to, but because everyone was paying their rent into my accounts they got it into their heads that this somehow made me rich, even though every penny went to the landlord). Refuse point blank.

HamstersAreMyLife · 16/12/2023 12:09

I am a landlord of this sort of contract and accept separate payments. The requirement is that they all need to have come through by the due date though, one is often late and I chase all tenants at that point as it is a joint responsibility. It is a pain but it's not onerous for the landlord as long as everyone is paying. I suspect in your DDs case someone is perpetually late or underpaying and they want to start escalating this.

Zebedee999 · 16/12/2023 12:18

Credit to your daughter for stepping up to solve what she sees as a problem to be solved.
In reality ignore the landlords request and tell them all to keep paying separately, it makes no real difference to the LL and no court would support him/her.
I'd be very proud of your daughter though for taking ownership and responsibility - both good qualities.

Blobblobblob · 16/12/2023 12:20

No no no no

And then, no. Nightmare on steroids.

willWillSmithsmith · 16/12/2023 12:34

That’s ridiculous and unreasonable. Some students barely know some of their house mates so why would anyone take responsibility for their payments.

My son is currently sharing in a student house and he would not be expected to merge his finances with the other students, some of whom are good friends and some of whom are just sharing space.

SnowsFalling · 16/12/2023 12:52

So, the landlord has rented ahoyse for £60 a month, and wants one cheque for£60, rather than 6 payments of £10?
I don't think that is unreasonable.
I also don't think your daughter should be the one volunteering to deal with it!
Don't know what the solution is tho.

Seeline · 16/12/2023 13:32

SnowsFalling · 16/12/2023 12:52

So, the landlord has rented ahoyse for £60 a month, and wants one cheque for£60, rather than 6 payments of £10?
I don't think that is unreasonable.
I also don't think your daughter should be the one volunteering to deal with it!
Don't know what the solution is tho.

It's not cheques anymore! My two uni students don't even possess cheque books. At the very least it will be direct transfer into LL bank account from each student although LL usually require standing orders/direct debits to be set up.

It really won't make any difference to them if there get individual payments or a single one!