Student DS shares a flat with another student friend. Both sets of parents are guarantors for the rent. His flatmate plans to be away for the summer and wants a mutual friend to take over the room while he's away to cover expenses. Rent etc will continue to be paid by the flatmate as normal, with the temporary tenant then paying him.
DH and I are not happy with this arrangement, but the lads seem pretty relaxed about it. We're thinking 'Aaargh! Deposits! Damage! Missed rent! What if the landlord finds out? What about council tax?' Don't think the friend is currently a student. Does this go on all the time and are we being too uptight about this, or are there other horrors we haven't even considered? Like, can the original tenant be sure the other person will leave when he wants to come back?
We literally can't afford to cover things like excessive damage, and DS knows our financial situation and wouldn't take the piss. This other person, of course, is an unknown quantity. Is it worth sticking our necks out and letting the landlord know, or would this cause more trouble than it's worth?