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Original poster

24 year old son not paid uni rent and I'm the guarantor

92 replies

AvaloniaFunk · 15/12/2020 08:09

My son is 24 and in his last year at uni. Our relationship is not great ( long story) and he has not been communicating well with me, or any other family, for months. He will occasionally texts if he needs something urgent but that is all.
This morning I have had an email from his uni accommadation. It was addressed to him and was a final warning regarding paying his rent. His rent should be paid from his student loan which more than covers it. This is the first I have heard of it. It says they have tries to contact him numerous times with no response and if his rent isn't paid by the end of this week ( approx £3000) a 3% charge will be added. I am his guarantor but am a single mum to two younger children and have no savings whatsoever. Any advice?

OP posts:
twilightermummy · 15/12/2020 09:27

A job*

titchy · 15/12/2020 09:30

@knittingaddict

To all those saying "don't be a guarantor", it's almost impossible to get student accommodation without having a guarantor.
There are companies that act as guarantor if a student is in this situation. Some landlords will also take larger deposits in lieu of no guarantor. It's awkward but there are alternatives.
WhoEatsPopTarts · 15/12/2020 09:34

This is why dcs student loan is immediately transferred to us and the rent is paid from our account.

HopeAndDriftWood · 15/12/2020 09:39

I had to pay more as I had no guarantor and nobody to ask. It wasn’t substantially more compared to the risk for the guarantor...

But yes; you need to try and talk to your son. Is he still living there? If he has no intention of paying, he’s going to need to leave so you can give notice and come to an arrangement to pay the debt owing.

OffredOfjune · 15/12/2020 09:44

If his loan more than covers the rent, what is he spending the money on instead? When I was at uni (not long ago) I had to go onto the accommodation website myself to pay it, so he's clearly avoiding paying anything.

You need to hit the roof speak to him immediately. This is terrible behaviour on his part if he knows this will land back on your doorstep.

Asdf12345 · 15/12/2020 09:59

I went through twelve years renting at uni and beyond always refusing to provide a guarantor. A larger deposit or rent up front will usually solve the problem, especially if in a shared uni house where other peoples guarantors have to cover you.

GroundAlmonds · 15/12/2020 10:23

@FamilyOfAliens

I wish people would understand what it really means to be a guarantor.

It’s not just “I’ll sign this piece of paper to ensure my child gets the accommodation they want”. It’s “So how would I find at least one months rent at short notice if my child defaults? Which family pot would I take the money from? What will I do if it’s 3,4,5 month’s rent?”

I suppose on the plus side it’s not someone else’s rent you’re having to find, which happens when several people share a tenancy and one of them defaults.

The problem is now that most student accommodation is private and LLs demand guarantors. So parents are emotionally blackmailed into signing.

It’s a sector of the rents market that needs regulation.

knittingaddict · 15/12/2020 10:25

Another option. Don't be the guarantor. Be the the person who pays the rent. Get the student loan money off the student and pay the rent to the LL yourself from that money. Then you know you're not going to be shafted.

I'm not sure that you can even do that. Contracts for uni students require a guarantor as standard. The student would still be the tenant and a guarantor still required. The parent can't take on a tenancy in their name and then let the student live there.

CrazyToast · 15/12/2020 10:28

You need to talk to your son first and find out why he didn't pay, and if he can now pay out of his loan.

If he has gone wild and spent it all (which does happen) you can call the accommodation office or whoever's number is on the letter you got. They might be able to help with a payment plan.

Really sorry this happened. I work in this area and it is sadly common. Hope it works out for you.

AdoraBell · 15/12/2020 10:36

Speak to him OP and don’t accept any flannel about how skint he is. I know some students have very little money after paying rent, but the rent has to come first.

I had to be a guarantor for my DD, she’s in private halls, and I’ve just signed an agreement for her twin sister for next year. It was either that or paying the rent up front for the entire year. They both know that if they don’t prioritise their rent they will be moving back home.

BarbaraofSeville · 15/12/2020 11:50

It does depend though, they may decide it’s more profitable to reclaim their money from a 24 year old single man rather than a single mother of 2 young children

In practice they'll pursue both of them until someone cracks and pays up. If the son is happy to ignore their demands for months on end, it's probably more likely that they'll get money out of the OP as the responsible grown up in this matter.

Another option. Don't be the guarantor. Be the the person who pays the rent. Get the student loan money off the student and pay the rent to the LL yourself from that money. Then you know you're not going to be shafted

That seems to be the best approach. I don't care if it's the student's money. It's not really, it's rent and if a parent is having to sign away potentially thousands of pounds and the offspring actually has that money, it seems best that there's a bit of give and take and the person being the guarantor gets some security in the form of custody of the money intended to pay the rent.

It also seems incredibly unfair in shared housing arrangements when parents are expected to be guarantor for the other housemates. They're taking on responsibility for someone they may even have never met and have no idea about how likely they are to have to cover their rent.

But I thought landlords would only accept guarantors who had the funds to cover the rent, which it doesn't sound like the OP is in this position?

justanotherneighinparadise · 15/12/2020 11:54

I think you need at assume the money has been spent on something else and he doesn’t have it. So this now prompts a whole heap of new questions. Can he move out of halls back to your house while that money gets caught up and so no further rent accumulates? Can he get a job? Can you get a loan or borrow the amount owed?

Somehow you’ve got to raise that £3000 before it accumulates interest and then deal with your son as a secondary issue.

Dyrne · 15/12/2020 12:49

I think @Notthe9oclocknewsathon raises a good point about the rent strike. Fingers crossed it is that and he does have the money stashed somewhere and he just hasn’t thought the full implications through.

£3000 is an insane amount of money to have pissed up the wall when you’re living a student lifestyle, especially when most pubs/activities are closed and he’s got a part time job as well.

Cocomarine · 15/12/2020 15:12

Is £3000 not a bit much for it to be rent strike related? That’s got to be a minimum of 6 months rent, surely? Unless arrears trigger payment of a longer term.

Obviously you need to speak to him, but I agree that you need to look over the paperwork to see what you committed yourself to - and especially at what point they are supposed to notify you of arrears. £3000K isn’t just the first non payment, I would think?

Dyrne · 15/12/2020 16:49

@Cocomarine in one of the London Halls £3000 sounds about right for the first 3 months-ish rent Sad

Ithinkim · 16/12/2020 11:44

Rent can be as much as 9k in London and 7.5k outside.

You need to speak to him urgently.

drspouse · 16/12/2020 12:11

@Audreyseyebrows

Surely it was very foolish of them to let you be a guarantor with no means of being able to pay?

What has your son said?

This occurs to me too. Don't they ask for financial documents from the guarantor?
WillSantaBeComingToTown · 16/12/2020 17:22

@knittingaddict

To all those saying "don't be a guarantor", it's almost impossible to get student accommodation without having a guarantor.
  1. Who is it owed too? The uni or a private landlord.

People can't offer advice until they know that.

WillSantaBeComingToTown · 16/12/2020 17:24

@twilightermummy

He's going to have to pay double out of his loan next month and get an job, even at McD's (if he can) and use his wage for daily expenses.
A job at mcdonalds is like gold dust at the moment.

Almost impossible to get any job with almost a million extra unemployed.

Original poster
AvaloniaFunk · 16/12/2020 23:40

Thank you for the comments .
The landlord is a private chain of student housing.
I was assessed as a guarantor prior to separating from my husband nearly a year ago so my financial circumstances have changed.
I have tried to make contact with my son but to no avail although messages have been left.
If he has not paid it by Friday I will be borrowing from family to pay the arrears for this term.
Another big instalment will be due in January and another in May.
Leaving the accommadation solves nothing as I am liable for the whole year anyway ( they would not fill his space mid academic year).
Seems crazy that my son will be getting his student loan payment in January which he should be using to pay his rent but will likely leave me to pay it, knowing the buck ends with me, and it seems there is nothing that I can do apart from borrowing from family again.

OP posts:
MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously · 16/12/2020 23:48

You can't keep borrowing to pay this, so you have to try to get yourself removed as guarantor. Contact them and tell them circumstances have changed. Also get in touch with citizens advice.
It sounds awful but you might have to take some action against your DS if the little shit doesn't contact you and try to sort this. It's really not fair to put you in this position especially when you have small children at home.

LadyLazaruss · 16/12/2020 23:58

crazy that my son will be getting his student loan payment in January which he should be using to pay his rent but will likely leave me to pay it, knowing the buck ends with me, and it seems there is nothing that I can do apart from borrowing from family again.

That's a disgrace. And the fact he's ignoring you is even worse. I'd be telling him in no uncertain terms that I wouldn't be helping him financially ever again.

safariboot · 17/12/2020 00:00

Sadly this is the reality. If the tenant can't or won't pay, the landlord is free to pursue the guarantor. Unless you are able to show you were misled when you signed to be the guarantor.

Worse, private student tenancies are usually "joint and several liability" for the tenants and the guarantors, as posters above have mentioned.

If you are a homeowner with sufficient equity in your property, then you can pay the rent owing by remortgaging or selling your home. You understandably will not want to go down this road if you can help it, but that's where it ends if you have no other option. (Landlords generally want the guarantor to be a homeowner for this reason.)

You can of course sue your son for the costs you've suffered because he didn't pay his rent and you were the guarantor. But if he's got no money, or just goes no contact, then you won't get anything that way.

Eckhart · 17/12/2020 00:05

They can't demand money that you don't have. Contact them and explain your situation. Arrange a repayment plan. This is your debt - that's what you agreed when you signed the guarantor forms. To be liable for the debt.

Is your husband also liable, though, if you signed the forms as a married couple?

Viviennemary · 17/12/2020 00:05

If you are his guarantor then if he doesn't pay it becomes your debt. Contact your son first and find out why he hasn't paid it. It's your credit rating that will take the hit.