Some of our young people are half way through their degrees (2019/20 intake): lockdowns on repeat, light at the end of the tunnel with vaccinations (?) and the legacy of COVID-19

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose is all I can say!

@justasking111 that’s funny.

DD and house were happy last night. They received extra shopping with their online order but were told to keep it due to Covid safety.

Good result @Benjispruce2

Found you .. thanks @mum2eim ... good idea @Parker231 .. going to look up Nottingham bakery and get some treats delivered to DS house

DS found out earlier today that one of the flatmates has moved in his non student gf, complete with 6 suitcases. When everyone is in residence there are already 7 of them. The accommodation is only for students, and the kitchen is too small as it is. I was hoping that the mate that told DS would report it to the management, but apparently the girl is now homeless and is applying for a council flat, so he doesn't want to see her on the streets. The couple aren't exactly domesticated, either. DS is dreading what he will find on his return. Thoughts?

@simbobs be aware that if she's not a student the house becomes liable for council tax. Exemption only applies if all residents are students. Friends DD fell foul of this and was costly (think it's 25% of full amount).

This isn't a private rental. It is a partnership accommodation provider, ie not owned by the uni but only used by their students.

Is that not a breech of the rental agreement @simbobs? Very tricky as nobody wants to see the girl homeless, if that really is the case. Definitely warrants investigation.

My first instinct was to tell DS to report it, but then thought it might be better for one of the other lads currently in residence to deal with it. And maybe turn a blind eye if she cleaned the kitchen. It will certainly be in breach of regulations.

This is an interesting read

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/17/free-market-gamble-has-covid-broken-uk-universities?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1KXRqcv57gVWoMPc6JcFjoyZaFjmMqPjcje6RRyu_tujhjRcLwxlpecOU#Echobox=1610877334

@simbobs, this is exactly what happened to DD, except that they are in a private rental. They all basically said she had to go, so the offender and gf moved back to his mums (online perfect for this) and they got another student in. But bad feeling for a while.

@bigTillyMint DS trying to avoid bad feeling, but the situation is also more complicated because the student in question grew up in care so also has nowhere else to go. DS has informed the remaining flatmates, one of whom is returning soon, in the hope that someone else will have dealt with it. I can't believe that someone would just do this without at least running it by the rest of the group, and making sure that it was a strictly temporary, emergency arrangement.

@simbobs, that does make it more tricky

I thought that young people who'd been in care got an automatic right to a council flat when they reached a certain age? I went out with someone many moons ago who had been in care with their siblings - they all got their own flats when they reached - was it 18?

Mind you, the Tories have probably stopped all that now.

I really don't know much about this lad, except that he is older than the rest of them and had been working for a couple of years. DS seems to think he is back in touch with some part of his family, though it may be that he retains contact with his Foster parents. It is the gf who claims to be applying for a council flat, though having seen her once she doesn't look that old and I can't see why she would qualify. It certainly wouldn't be soon. As rents have just fallen due the flatmate is unlikely to be moving out to live with her. I just want someone to sort it out before DS gets back or he will find it a major distraction to have to deal with a dirty, overcrowded kitchen. It is the only social space in the flat as they have no lounge and currently cannot use the common room.

The whole issue of partners staying is a bit of a nightmare isn't it? Although do young people generally get annoyed by such things?

I think (from my own perspective) that it's a much more adult (how dare they take advantage!) type of complaint. I lived in a house share where we were very pleased to count that we'd had about 75 guests staying over the course of the time we were there. Some of them stayed for a couple of weeks at least. We were none of us well-off and yet I have no recall of any contributions to using the household amenities from other than three of the temporary residents. I am shocked with the benefit of a more cynical and mature perspective that we were so generous natured! I wouldn't be now.

But agree it's probably less about the money on utilities and more about the extra body cluttering up a student house (and particularly if the couple are very untidy).

And yes to the issue of Council Tax - I would have thought the whole bill should fall to the non-student 'shouldn't be in residence' girlfriend. She may soon run for the hills if faced with paying that!

@Newmodelarmy it isn't a private house so no council tax payable. The issue is that the kitchen is hardly adequate for the 7 people that live there as it is. Each person really needs to cook and clean up before anyone else can use it - rubbish design, and having two people living as a couple and not being considerate is unfair on the others. So far only 2 of the other lads are there. DS had a message from one of them tonight showing pictures of the kitchen and saying that there is a routine flat inspection tomorrow. Hope someone does some cleaning or they will fail. We have advised DS to make sure the management know that he is still at home.

The local authority with which a person has a “local connection” has a responsibility to house genuinely homeless people. Anyone can present themselves to the council and say they are homeless. They will be found temporary accommodation while their case is considered. However this will not necessarily be either nice or local depending on the area.

The gf is from the uni city and has been living with family, (she is 22 or so). The flatmate gets his rent paid by his home authority due to his status. DS will return in the next two weeks, and hopes things have been resolved. He has just started his semester 2 lectures which makes him feel that he should be there, even though all still online.

Yes, sympathies with lack of space @simbobs

When I moved to London, we always had at least one other sleeping for free in our “dining room” (as well as the usual bfs/gfs in our own rooms) often for weeks/months on end! But we were in a 5 bed house plus 2 reception rooms and a kitchen/breakfast room.
My DDs flat didn’t want another living there because they only have a small kitchen/sitting space, but gfs/bfs coming and going is fine with them.

Ds has his gf living with him. I don't think he should. But he's not going to listen to me. She has a student house nearby. So she's paying rent etc there and not contributing to ds's house. There is only one other person there (house of 6) poor lad must feel a bit uncomfortable living with a couple. The gf stayed there the November lockdown with all 6 housemates too.

Just checking in to this new thread 😊

@icanbewhatiwant, I don’t think the other flatmate will necessarily be feeling uncomfortable - maybe nicer to have more people around if other flatmates aren’t back?

Very true @bigTillyMint.

How are things in Canada @Itscoldouthere? And how is your DS2 getting on this term?

@bigTillyMint do you think? I was worried he might feel like a gooseberry.