Hi All,
So, I've had an issue from the start of this year with one of my flatmates. The issue is that since the start of Uni, his girlfriend has stayed over every night. Although she has her own accommodation, she chooses to permanently live here. The only time when she is not here is when she chooses to go home with my flatmate.
To most, this probably is a problem. But, we are an all guys flat where we just want to have some guy time. But it is impossible as she is always there. I feel I can't make comments that are considered not appropriate when girls are around, which is part of a guys day to day laughter.
It is also a problem when it comes to cleaning. Although she lives here (essentially), she does not clean up after herself at all. This really annoys me as I share a bathroom with my flatmate and his girlfriend. Things like not cleaning the bathroom, cleaning up her long hair across the bath and leaving toilet rolls on the floor when finished, expecting me to pick them up as they know I like a clean living space. She is a guest, but, she treats it as if it is her own place. They are yet to clean the bathroom to date.
Even things like washing are annoying. She decides to wash her stuff using our machine because it doesn't cost her anything. That's fine if she wasn't doing 3 loads on a Sunday that take around 3-4 hours each (washer/dryer combo machine, the machines fault really).
It's incredibly disrespectful to me and my other flatmates. Additionally, I pay a large weekly price to live with a certain number of people, not an addition to that number. I appreciate that people have boyfriends/girlfriends. I have mine over a couple of nights a week. However, she cleans up after herself as she knows I get annoyed, and she also likes clean living spaces anyway.
My question is, what should I do? I don't want to speak to my flatmate about it as there is already tension. I shouldn't have to either. Do I have any legal ground?
My contract states that, "[...] to not take in any Lodger, paying guest or any other person without the consent of the landlord".
Is there any grounds the HMO covers which are being breached? I couldn't find anything.
Just to give some rough context, I won't just snitch on my mate straight away. However, there needs to be a bit of a change. If there were legal grounds to fight the issue, I would speak to him in person first, asking him and his girlfriend just to be a bit more respectful in our shared space. Examples would be, cleaning the bathroom occasionally, not leaving her stuff around the flat, using the washing machine outside of regular times (i.e. the weekend) that we use the machine. I can handle a girl being there all the time, but that won't stop me from talking about guy things, which can sometimes upset certain women. I've already done that multiple times already, thus the above 'tension'.