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Original poster

Offering to pay half months rent before moving out and people put my room on spare room with out telling me

35 replies

Coldwinters · 30/11/2016 16:29

Hi all,

So I desperately need some advice on the place I am renting. So I rented out a room in an three bedroom flat in London. The week after I moved in another moved into the last bedroom. Everyday the two guys that live there one gets stoned and I can smell it around the flat.

The guys and I are clearly very different and a week ago I looked on spare room and I saw they put my room up to be rented out, but for mid December so effectively giving me less than a month to find somewhere new, but they still haven't told me and would be doing viewings behind my back when I wasn't in,but I don't think they've had any yet.

I've found a new place for the 10th December but I am supposed to pay my months rent tomorrow for the whole month. I have no contract, I just put down a deposit. As they were going to ask me to leave anyways am I with in my rights to just offer half a months rent for up to the 10th December.
Thanks

OP posts:
OohhThatsMe · 30/11/2016 16:33

Who owns the place?

EachandEveryone · 30/11/2016 16:35

That was sneaky. Yes just give them half a month unless you have a landlord separate to them who just rents the rooms out. That would be different.

YelloDraw · 30/11/2016 16:39

Sounds well dodge. Just pay rent up to the 10th and get out of there!

Original poster
Coldwinters · 30/11/2016 16:55

The landlord is seperate, owned by a private landlord seperate but the one guy sub lets the whole flat off him. I then was just supposed to pay the sub lets guy the rent. I have no way to guarantee my deposit back.

OP posts:
wowfudge · 30/11/2016 19:19

So your contract is with the person who lives in the flat, not the owner? How much deposit did you pay and is it protected in a deposit scheme? What's the rent?

wowfudge · 30/11/2016 19:21

Oh and does the owner think he's renting the whole place to one person? Does the owner know the tenant is sub-letting?

Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 30/11/2016 19:24

So if he sublets the whole flat and rents a room to you, you are a lodger?

I would pay enough to ensure my payment plus my deposit covered the period I'd stayed there for, and leave. You have very few rights as a lodger compared to as a tenant, and I would never normally suggest someone bump rent, but I think if you don't you will never see your deposit money again.

wowfudge · 30/11/2016 19:31

That's what I was thinking the OP should do Coffee - I strongly suspect there is illegal subletting going on. Take anything important or valuable to a friend's house or to work with you in case he pulls any stunts.

Original poster
Coldwinters · 30/11/2016 20:20

I paid 750 in a deposit
The rent is 1200 a month!!!! Silly London price place I chose
I dont know where the deposit money went?

OP posts:
Notnownornever · 30/11/2016 20:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Coldwinters · 30/11/2016 20:30

Definitely my room with en suite, only one which has it. Exact same advert i replied to on spare room he has reposted it. He has lowered rent by ten pounds a week. He has updated it and written available mid December.

OP posts:
Original poster
Coldwinters · 30/11/2016 20:31

They are definitely not moving out, one just moved in and the other is the sub letter.

OP posts:
Notnownornever · 30/11/2016 21:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Coldwinters · 30/11/2016 21:15

Yes it was my reaction, but i just didnt know what to say to him!

OP posts:
Original poster
Coldwinters · 30/11/2016 21:17

Also since the new guy moved in they have acted like Best friends and ive been the third wheel they didnt want there!

OP posts:
wowfudge · 30/11/2016 21:55

If you feel it is safe enough, then tell the guy you are paying rent to (I'm not clear who is who and you haven't said where the owner of the place is) you've seen he's advertising your room and that your deposit will cover the rent until mid December. Don't pay any rent. Do you lock your room and does anyone else have a key? I'm wondering if someone has accessed your internet browsing history/emails/phone records. It's all a bit too coincidental.

Original poster
Coldwinters · 30/11/2016 22:51

Which bit do you mean is too coincidental?

I have no lock on my room and I know he has been in here a few times when i have been out

There is the landlord (never met and know nothing about)
Guy one - subletting to me
Guy two - also subletting from guy one and moved in week after me

OP posts:
Original poster
Coldwinters · 30/11/2016 22:52

And thankyou to all for help so far. I feel abit more okay with what i am doing tomorrow

OP posts:
OlennasWimple · 30/11/2016 22:55

Blimey - I'd move all my valuables out of the room and store them at my work place (passport, jewelry type stuff). I would try to move my other stuff out too, if you have a friend who could store a suitcase of clothes for you for a couple of weeks. Then I would tell him that I was moving out on December 10 and I was using my deposit in lieu of X days rent

wowfudge · 01/12/2016 07:05

OP I think it is very odd that you have been thinking of moving out, but haven't mentioned it, yet this man has your room advertised to rent from a date which matches when you are looking to move. He is not to be trusted. Get your valuables and important documents out of there and start moving the rest of your stuff out. You have few rights as a lodger so look out for yourself. Once you are out I'd be very tempted to find the owner and let him know what's going on.

Blu · 01/12/2016 07:14

WowFudge , I am reading it that the OP saw her room advertised as available from Mid December , decided that that meant she would be evicted , so found a new place to go to from Dec 10th.

OP , is that the case? You saw the ad, said nothing to the guy, found a new place and are planning to move but have still not discussed it with the guy you are sub letting from ?

wowfudge · 01/12/2016 07:31

If that is the case Blu then it makes things easier for the OP. I still think the guy is not to be trusted, as is obvious from his actions in advertising her room.

Original poster
Coldwinters · 01/12/2016 13:11

Yes my room has been advertised for mid December and I found somewhere I could move into on the 11th.

The only reason I found out about it was because I had had two weeks constantly of them smoking pot and really hated it, so looked on spare room to see if anything was available, and that is when I found my room on there. If I was happy there I would have never looked and never found it.

OP posts:
Original poster
Coldwinters · 01/12/2016 13:15

I have not told him I have seen the advert and just carried on as usual, seeing if he would say anything.

I am going to tell him today, but only because my rent is due today.

He has asked that I make sure the room is tidy as the landlord is coming around tomorrow, which I suspect could be a viewing Hmm

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Original poster
Coldwinters · 01/12/2016 18:58

Got two texts back...

Text one : I paid for 3 months for that ad so I guess it's still running - I don't check it or get any calls......

OP posts: