Student accommodation contract

[clopper]

I have also posted this in legal, but would be glad to hear any other parental experiences with this sort of thing and about what the best thing to do is.

My DD has signed an agreement to rent a house with two other girls at the university. One girl says she will have to drop out as her loan is less than she thought it would be for the 2nd year ( plus I think she wants to leave uni). Not sure how this leaves us as we have to guarantee the rent, which the three parent guarantors have.

After having bad experiences with flatmates in halls during the first year, both girls left do not want to live with a random unknown. The leaving girl just says ‘get someone else’ which is not easy to do.

The letting agent has amended the contract several times and a few days ago sent another contract to sign ( each time just changing the moving in and out dates by 1 or two days!) I am wondering where we stand with this now as they have issued another contract a few days ago, changing the dates again? Could DD and her friend get out of the contract because of this. I am so worried about my daughter, she had such a terrible time in senior school being bullied and ostracised and then her flat at hall was drugs and party central, not her scene at all. She is remarkably resilient but this is breaking us.

Is it that the agent can change the contract but we have to abide by it ? It will financially cripple us if I had to pay 2 lots of rent. I suspect they will pursue me as I am the higher earner of the two girls remaining. The whole issue of student tenancies seems to stink to me. I would appreciate any advice about this, many thanks.

I am assuming that the start date is not until the summer/autumn?

I think the original contract would still stand unless the landlord pulls out. However, you would only be liable for the landlord's losses if you pull out - the cost of remarketing the property and rent until the property is relet.

In reality, I imagine the landlord will be happy to release you from the contract if there is plenty of time to relet it. The last thing they want is for tenants to move in and not pay the rent then have to go to court and evict them/or go to court to get the money from the guarantors.

The other option would be you could take the other girl and her guarantor to court to reclaim her share of the rent if the landlord won't release you from the contract early.

@chesirecat99
Quite often student tenancies start from 1 July and are for 12 months. The students jointly rent the whole property so are jointly liable in most cases. This might give the landlord 2 months to remarket of thegvsgree to cancel the contract. It’s difficult when students take up tenancies with flaky students. Always know the other students well.

I think these 2 students should try and pull out as they, as the remaining students, have responsibility to find another tenant. It sucks. Talk to the landlord. Urgently. Having a random night be better then paying 50% more rent but who is finding the random??? Your DD? The landlord just wants the rent as agreed. None of this is the landlords fault.

why would they pick a "random unknown" at this stage of university? By now both girls have some idea what kind of housemate would suit, and both know a range of students. Pick and choose among people they know.

Surely the other girl’s parents should be the ones paying if their Dd drops out, not you.? The landlord should chase them first. But yes they should at this stage be able to find someone who’s looking for accommodation still.

Or if they don’t want to do that then ask to be released from the contract but the landlord might refuse, a lot of houses are agreed before Xmas for the next academic year so the landlord may feel this is too late. Most people will have sorted their houses already. It’s easier to find a random person for one room than to fill a house from scratch.

My daughter is in her second year and has still had no in person sessions - getting to know people, other than her original flatmates who she now lives with, has been difficult and she certainly knows no one else well. Not for the want of trying though.

I don't know which Uni city your DD is in but my DS has only ever had individual contacts for each room in a shared house, therefore if one drops out the others wouldn't be liable. It also meant that all bills were included in the individual's rent so no arguing over hot water, electricity usage etc. there seem to be quite a few agents organising student rentals like this .. is it too late to look for something similar?

Isn't July summer @TizerorFizz ? 😂

Most landlords start marketing properties 2 months before the contract ends so if the contract doesn't start until July, there is a good chance they can relet the property before OP's DD's contract begins.

I think student housing might be different, here the accommodation fair is in autumn term for the following academic year.

@chesirecat99
You said summer/autumn. No. They don’t market 2 months before the contract ends. Lots of DC agree contracts in January. Some ax early as December. Contracts often end on 30 June. It really does vary and 2 months marketing is pretty rare in sought after cities.

when a student leaves citing no money it’s often that parents are not paying up and the student doesnt have a job to provide the extra income needed. You can often see this coming and in 2nd year it’s no surprise. It’s been difficult to make friends but two secure friends is better then three dodgy ones. You can try going after the drop out girls parents and the landlord should but it really depends on the contract.

Summer/autumn means summer or autumn, @TizerorFizz

It doesn't matter when the contract was agreed, what matters is when it starts.

Landlords don't only rent to students... 2 months is usually enough to find a tenant. It's also the norm for student contracts here in London.

If the landlord thinks they can relet the property before the contract starts, there is a good chance they will be happy to let them pull out.

A lot of landlords absolutely do rent to students. That’s why Rightmove have a student let section. In some cities they might do PhD/ young professional but many landlords are exclusively in the student market. This is mainly because they have to provide desks and there are other requirements for students. Also quite often landlords don’t want students in lovely properties. The student market isn’t high end. The only area where there isn’t a student market is London. Even there some areas are more studenty.

why would they pick a "random unknown" at this stage of university? By now both girls have some idea what kind of housemate would suit, and both know a range of students. Pick and choose among people they know.

they are shy quiet girls and don’t know many others. Lots of acquaintances that they do know are already sorted with house shares.

@clopper
I think some posters don’t know the student market. However they really do need to speak to the landlord today. Of course most students are sorted out so they might not be in a position to be choosy. Hope they get a clear picture of a way forward but they need to read their contract very closely to check liability in this position.

Have you checked your contract for liability? I am only guarantor for my child's share of the rent. In this case it would be the parents of the child who dropped out who would be pursued .... if there was no replacement found.
It's still quite likely that they will find someone. Lots of people would like to share in a quiet, non party house.

Except most students have next year rentals sorted. There won’t be lots who don’t. Depending on city. The university accommodations office might know of those still looking or masters students looking.

Does a guarantor kick in if the tendency has not started? Not sure it does.

It kicks in as soon as you sign the contract.

What does the contract say OP? Are your daughter and the other tenant liable for rent for the whole house?

I can't see that your income level would mean that they'll 'come after you' any more than the other guarantors.

I imagine that everyone they would want to share with us already sorted for next year. At my daughter's university just about everyone sorts their second and third year rentals by the November. No-one intentionally leaves it this late.