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Were my parents fair to do this regarding accommodation?

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Reply 40
Original post by olympicdude
I need to find a place to live for university next year. I have been on a gap year and I have to choose off campus. I found two great places but the agencies needed guarantors from my parents. A guarantor is a person who pays for the rent if I can't pay it so my parents would pay if I can't pay.

My parents point blanc refused to be guarantors and they said they wouldn't be persuaded. I am very careful with money, I have quite a lot of money saved up and I could pay the rent several times over, that's how much money I have saved up. Even so, my parents refuse.

Term is about a month from starting. I haven't found a place to live and I could end up with nowhere or a ****ty place in a poor location at best, never having met the people or even looked at the place beforehand. Were my parents fair to do this?


You said you've got the money to pay for it several times over. What if you offered to give them all the money that it could possibly cost them, just to sit in their bank account. Then it would have no potential of harming them. Or what about asking if you can pay it all up front? Then you wouldn't need a guarantor.
Original post by WelshBluebird

Wrong.
On terms of rental contracts, the guarantor is only liable for the rent.
You are talking out of your backside when it comes to burned down buildings and stuff.


LOL. Anybody that believes the law is infallible, and has faith in a contract is extremely naive!

Perhaps a guarantor is only liable for rent cover, which I assume to be the case, but contracts and individuals are unfavourably scrutinised when things go wrong. Potential legal hassle is avoided by not becoming involved.

Father is wise, cautions and rightly so; +1 to him.
Original post by usernonapplicable
LOL. Anybody that believes the law is infallible, and has faith in a contract is extremely naive!

Perhaps a guarantor is only liable for rent cover, which I assume to be the case, but contracts and individuals are unfavourably scrutinised when things go wrong. Potential legal hassle is avoided by not becoming involved.

Father is wise, cautions and rightly so; +1 to him.


What you mean having a faith in a contract is naive?
You are only liable for what you sign for in the contract.
Its as simple as that.
Unless it is specified in the contract, trying to hold a guarantor liable for a house fire would be laughed out of court!

Also you think leaving their son homeless for university is wise??
What do you suggest the OP does when nearly all landlords ask for a guarantor then?
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 43
Original post by WelshBluebird
So what about second and third year, when halls are not an option?
At least in my experience nearly all landlords require a guarantor.
Also note, 99% of time a guarantor won't have to pay a thing. This is even more the case with students when you have your student loan to pay rent (a student loan is often more "secure" than wages as you could lose your job in the blink of an eye).


Whats your point? Its still not the parents obligation to act as a fall back for the student...
Original post by cl_steele
Whats your point? Its still not the parents obligation to act as a fall back for the student...


So what do you expect the OP to do? Live on the street?
It isn't about the parents being a fall back. Its about a guarantor being needed in nearly every student housing contract.
Reply 45
Original post by beccafairy
but the OP has enough money to support themselves, how much more self reliant can they be? some contracts just require a guarantor regardless of financial situation, and they can't help that. i'm going into halls of residence and i had to have a guarantor, so i'm not sure what you mean by "this route"? besides, student housing tends to be a cheaper option so surely it's the more sensible 'route'.


Why do you keep putting route in quote marks ?:s-smilie:
So what? financial circumstances often change... Just because OP has X amount of money now doesnt mean in a couple of months time he wont have blown it on something in the heat of the moment...
Either way youre missing my point, it is not the parents obligation to act as a guarentor... why should they? He's an adult and the parents dont have to be there to have the buck handed to them should something go wrong. If they want to be the guarantor then whoopee for OP but if they dont its hardly justified to say its 'unfair'.
Reply 46
Original post by WelshBluebird
So what do you expect the OP to do? Live on the street?
It isn't about the parents being a fall back. Its about a guarantor being needed in nearly every student housing contract.


Oh please, dont blow this out of proportion.
No its about the parents having the right to say they dont want to be listed on their grown up kids housing form without being labelled being a prick.
Original post by cl_steele
Oh please, dont blow this out of proportion.
No its about the parents having the right to say they dont want to be listed on their grown up kids housing form without being labelled being a prick.


So I ask again what do you expect the OP to do?
I am not blowing it out of proportion, because quite simply, nearly all landlords require a guarantor from a student.

if you are happy for your son to have extreme difficulty in finding somewhere to live at university, then you are a bit of a prick.
Reply 48
Original post by WelshBluebird
So I ask again what do you expect the OP to do?
I am not blowing it out of proportion, because quite simply, nearly all landlords require a guarantor from a student.

if you are happy for your son to have extreme difficulty in finding somewhere to live at university, then you are a bit of a prick.


Find a new house
Oh grow up not every house requires mummys signature.
Why bring my potential kids into this? I have no issue signing a signature im just saying OPs parents are well within their rights to say no, seems you beg to differ though ... tell you what why dont they just give him their house to boot?
Original post by cl_steele
Find a new house
Oh grow up not every house requires mummys signature.
Why bring my potential kids into this? I have no issue signing a signature im just saying OPs parents are well within their rights to say no, seems you beg to differ though ... tell you what why dont they just give him their house to boot?


Find a new house? So what when that house also needs a guarantor?

Me grow up? You are the one throwing around insults and such. The vast vast majority (aka nearly all) of student houses DO need a guarantor. That is a fact. I am sorry you do not like that, but it is a fact.

I wasn't bringing your potential kids into it. It was a generic comment. If a parent is happy to see their kids struggle to find somewhere to live at university for some stupid "right to say no" argument, then you are a bit of a prick.

And what the hell does their house have anything to do with it?
Reply 50
Original post by WelshBluebird
Find a new house? So what when that house also needs a guarantor?

Me grow up? You are the one throwing around insults and such. The vast vast majority (aka nearly all) of student houses DO need a guarantor. That is a fact. I am sorry you do not like that, but it is a fact.

I wasn't bringing your potential kids into it. It was a generic comment. If a parent is happy to see their kids struggle to find somewhere to live at university for some stupid "right to say no" argument, then you are a bit of a prick.

And what the hell does their house have anything to do with it?


Oh please are you seriously contending that every single house in said city will need a guarantor? pfft.

I havent thrown around any insults?:s-smilie:

mmhmmm, again stop blowing this out of proportion the kid wont go homeless and you know full well they wont. If anything youre the 'prick' for assuming the child has the entitlement to demand a signature or else.

It was sarcasm darling. I was merely reffering to your point that suggests the kid is entitled to whatever he/she needs in order to have amazingggg accomodation even if it means ejecting the parents from their house.
Original post by cl_steele
Oh please are you seriously contending that every single house in said city will need a guarantor? pfft.


Nearly all of them do, yes. So finding the handful that don't is incredibly difficult, and they may already be taken up. The vast vast majority do need a guarantor. That is a fact. Again I am sorry you don't like that fact.

Original post by cl_steele

I havent thrown around any insults?:s-smilie:


Insults wasn't the right word, but the whole "grow up" crap.

Original post by cl_steele

mmhmmm, again stop blowing this out of proportion the kid wont go homeless and you know full well they wont.


If they cannot get a place to live, then what else are they going to do? Just not go to uni then.

Original post by cl_steele

If anything youre the 'prick' for assuming the child has the entitlement to demand a signature or else.


You are the one blowing this out of proportion as you are the one who has a problem with a parent being a guarantor. As I said, it is just part and parcel of student lets. Something you just have to accept.

Original post by cl_steele

It was sarcasm darling. I was merely reffering to your point that suggests the kid is entitled to whatever he/she needs in order to have amazingggg accomodation even if it means ejecting the parents from their house.


We aren't talking about amazing accommodation though. We are talking about any kind of student house.
Reply 52
I don't think its unfair of him it is quite a big thing to ask. My parents definitely wouldn't do it. Heck I got a phone contract in my dads name when I was 17 and he refused to get a 24month one which would of been cheaper for me and insisted I got a 12 month one so when I was 18 I could go take one out in my own name. Then every single month got all stressed with me and demanded proof that I had been paying it because if I wasn't it was all in his name and he was liable.
Now while you may be perfectly capable of paying and responsible enough to do so and wouldn't put him in any bad situation it is one thing to know that yourself and another for him to believe it. You can prove to him you have the money but he might not belive you will be responsible with it and not just go out and blow it or something. Alternatively he might have poor credit history/ debts or other things that could cause problems trying to be your guarantor and he doesn't want to deal with it.
Landlords that don't ask for guarantors definitely exist. My contract with one started in July :P . You have time to keep looking, and whilst it might be better if your dad just agreed to sign for this one it doesn't seem like he will so I think your best option is to look for a house that doesn't ask for one.
Reply 53
Original post by WelshBluebird
Nearly all of them do, yes. So finding the handful that don't is incredibly difficult, and they may already be taken up. The vast vast majority do need a guarantor. That is a fact. Again I am sorry you don't like that fact.
Insults wasn't the right word, but the whole "grow up" crap.
If they cannot get a place to live, then what else are they going to do? Just not go to uni then.
You are the one blowing this out of proportion as you are the one who has a problem with a parent being a guarantor. As I said, it is just part and parcel of student lets. Something you just have to accept.
We aren't talking about amazing accommodation though. We are talking about any kind of student house.

Actually i was reffering to housing in general not just student housing.
Just because they cant get a house doesnt mean they cant go to uni, you know this as well as i do.
I dont have a problem with parents being a guarantor?:s-smilie: I said theyre within their rights to decline to be one, but my apologies meine fuhrer i forgot this was the reich where people cant disagree with your almighty opinion without being castigated for it.
Reply 54
Ur dads an a**whole


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Reply 55
Maybe look for independent Unipol Landlords. My (independent) landlord didn't ask for a guarantor but I know that nearly every single letting agent did.
Original post by cl_steele
Actually i was reffering to housing in general not just student housing.


This thread is not about housing in general though. It is about student housing. And generally landlords will ask for a guarantor from a student.

Original post by cl_steele

Just because they cant get a house doesnt mean they cant go to uni, you know this as well as i do.


So what do you suggest they do then? You have not answered this yet.

Original post by cl_steele

I dont have a problem with parents being a guarantor?:s-smilie: I said theyre within their rights to decline to be one, but my apologies meine fuhrer i forgot this was the reich where people cant disagree with your almighty opinion without being castigated for it.


Of course their within their right. But I fail to see why any caring parent would put their son in a position where they would struggling in finding accommodation for university

Original post by KKKKatie
Maybe look for independent Unipol Landlords. My (independent) landlord didn't ask for a guarantor but I know that nearly every single letting agent did.


In my experience independent landlords are often the same (as in they ask for a guarantor). But yeah, the only thing the OP can do if they cannot change their parents mind is to try to find one of the few who don't ask for one.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 57
Original post by WelshBluebird
This thread is not about housing in general though. It is about student housing. And generally landlords will ask for a guarantor from a student.

So what do you suggest they do then? You have not answered this yet.

Of course their within their right. But I fail to see why any caring parent would put their son in a position where they would struggling in finding accommodation for university


Its about housing for a student which is not solely limited to student housing...

Because it doesnt need answering? lets start with live at home, commuting etc. etc. etc.

Theyre not putting it at risk because as i have said there are other houses...

Please see the post by boba a couple above this one, cant really phrase it better than that.
Reply 58
You can see from their point of view, cause if you suddenly decide not to pay then they are stuck forking it out. However if what your saying is true about saving money etc, then there is something wrong with them or some weird reason why they won't do it.
Original post by cl_steele
Its about housing for a student which is not solely limited to student housing...


But even for "other" housing, when they see you are a student, you will probably be asked for a guarantor. Even non students are often asked for one (its more of a young person thing than a student thing).

Original post by cl_steele

Because it doesnt need answering? lets start with live at home, commuting etc. etc. etc.


You assume that is possible though. Quite often it isn't.

Original post by cl_steele

Theyre not putting it at risk because as i have said there are other houses...


Hardly. Once again, nearly all landlords require a guarantor for a student tenant. I don't know how I can make that clearer to you.

Original post by cl_steele

Please see the post by boba a couple above this one, cant really phrase it better than that.


I just don't see why you would refuse. The bullcrap someone posted about being liable for fires is exactly that - bullcrap. You would only have to pay a penny if the son / daughter cannot pay their rent. If you are that worried about them not paying their rent, then why not be a guarantor on the proviso that you monitor their finances or something? You are causing your son / daughter a lot of aggro for no reason at all.

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