Moving out & housemates friend taking my room

[hollyinh]

this is quite a long one. I'm in a house share with people I didn't know before we moved in, we joint signed a lease & split deposit/rent. Our lease contract finished and moved onto a rolling contract. After a few months I have decided to move out and move country. I let them know a few months beforehand and they agreed we could tel the letting agency to sort out deposit etc.

The letting agency have said said they will need to end the tenancy to give deposit back and do inspections etc then start a new 6 month contract. However my housemates then decided they want to move out 2 months later so 6 month contract won't work for them. They proposed having their friend take my room and cover my rent until they move out. they told the agency well all move out on same day and that no one new is moving in (so new person wouldn't have to do tenancy checks).

this has put me in an awkward situation as they don't want to give me any deposit back until they move out. I don't know their friend and they as housemates are quite wreckless and dirty so I don't trust them to not damage the house anymore or to clean it once they leave. I want my deposit back before I let someone take over my room incase they do any damage.

after lots of going back & forth we agreed to get 80% of deposit from their friend paid to me and that I'll get the rest back once any deductions are made at end of tenancy (again I don't want to be liable for damage and cleanliness once I'm gone).

im moving out half way through the month which they have always know and they agreed to cover rent etc from when I move out. Rent is now due and they are saying I need to pay for the full month and once their friend moves in they will pay me back the rent and 80% deposit.

I really don't want to do this because there's nothing binding this new person to moving in and paying anything to me. I also don't want to leave the country without any payments made to me and waiting 2 months to see how much of the rest of the deposit I will get back.

AIBU? I don't know what to say to them as they're not really open to discussing anything and just tell me "no this is what we're doing". I also have no communication with or even know this new persons name so I have little trust in them.

I'm not sure I understand.

Why aren't you liaising directly with the letting agency?

Why are you allowing your housemates to dictate who'll pay what and when you'll get your deposit back?

Can you stay put for the 2 months OP? I know it's not what you want to do, but I think it might be the least stressful answer to this situation, especially as you don't trust these people. Otherwise, I'd be tempted to go to the agent and tell them what's going on, and let them sort it out. It really shouldn't be your problem.

Forget about the housemate’s friend and move out properly. Don’t bend over backwards to do favours for someone you don’t trust and hardly know.

No, don't do this. You'll still be liable for any unpaid rent.

Refuse, and do what the letting agency want, which is that when one joint tenant leaves, they end the tenancy, inspect, and set up another one for the new tenants. Not your problem what the other former housemates then do.

Just tell the landlord what you’re doing and let them deal with their problems.

Definitely do not do this - I very much suspect the landlord would view you as having illegally sub-let your room to someone else.

You risk losing all your deposit AND being completely liable for the rent on the room for the full length of the tenancy you signed up to.

Don’t do it. I made that mistake and was tied in for 12 months paying for a room I could use.

Just cancel and get your deposit back.

No this all sounds like you’ll be left out of pocket and being responsible for a property that might not be handed back in a good state.

I’d tell them that none of this is working for you and you’ll need to speak to your landlord about it and do it all above board so you’re covered. It doesn’t have to all be on their terms.

Are you mad? Don't make agreements with the housemates do it via the gents officially. It isn't your problem if they don't want a 6month contract, they'll just have to move themselves.

If you don't leave properly then yo could be liable for ongoing rent. Damage to the property etc.

Not your circus, not your monkeys as they say on here.

I’m a landlord. Don’t do this. You will have no rights and will be liable.

I would tell the housemates money in full (forget the 80%) before you go, or you'll let the agency know when you're actually leaving

You would have to be insane to go along with this.

I don't know what to say to them as they're not really open to discussing anything and just tell me "no this is what we're doing" 😂 They’ve done a bit of a number on you, haven’t they? They’re so sure that you’ll go along with what they’ve decided that they’re almost convincing you that there’s no other option. You have a choice here. You can either laugh at them and tell them that that isn’t working for you, or you can laugh at them, ignore them completely and just speak to the letting agency directly. Tell the agency that it doesn’t matter what your flatmate tells them; you will be moving out on that date.

I would tell them to follow through or you will end the tenancy and leave your housemate in difficulty. Cheeky of them to dictate this to you.

Did you post previously ? If you all signed together the deposit can only be returned when a new lease starts.

Nope, nope, nope, nope.

If they can't pay back the deposit & their portion of the rent PRIOR to moving in, when you still hold some cards (i.e. telling the LL and doing it properly) why on earth do you think they'll pay up, on time & in full, when they've got their feet under the table in a house on which YOU still have liability in the form if your deposit & LL thinking you still live there!!

You tried to do a nice thing but IME that will bite you on the arse. Go through the proper channel, get your money back & sever financial ties - whatever goes on in that house after you've left needs to not be your responsibility.

Is it an option to just stay for 2 months?

This seems like a really bad set up as you leaving has stitched them up where they will have to move out or sign up for another 6 months. What would you have done if one of them moved out and you were staying? You definitely can’t do what they are suggesting as that leaves you still liable for rent and deposit. I don’t know what the answer is here.

I do think there needs to be compromise here, it doesn't need to be all on your terms. But also shouldn't be all on theirs either.