Dodgy Landlord and Rent in Cash

Ok, so my rent was due three days ago and the problem isn't that I can't afford it but that my landlord wants it in cash. £450 in cash. Naturally, I'm flat out refusing to do this because I don't trust the ****er as far as I could throw him which isn't very far at all. Me and my house mates have asked for an account number that we can transfer the money to but he says he can't give us any details. Which is weird because the rent of October and September was sent to an account, his sons to be precise, whom he says is the owner of the house. I get the feeling that something shady is happening here and I'm absolutely not going to give him the rent in cash.

I really need some advice on what to do here.

Reply 1

jelly1000

Original post by C_G

Does your student union have a housing officer you can talk to?

Reply 2

C_G

Original post by jelly1000

Does your student union have a housing officer you can talk to?

I do indeed. I intend to go in and see him tomorrow.

Reply 3

heidigirl

Do you have any other reason to think he's dodgy?

Because although it's a little strange that previously he had an account you could pay it into, wanting the rent in cash by itself isn't necessarily dodgy, he might just be ridiculously old fashioned.

Our landlord tried to ask for our rent in cash and to come round and collect it when we first moved in; he seemed to think it was somehow safer than giving us his sort code and account number so we could pay it into his bank and didn't seem to realise that was the norm these days. We obviously weren't going to do that-either having that much cash about or having him coming round hassling us for the rent-and it was a ridiculous hassle trying to get him to understand the only thing we were going to do with his details was pay him his rent, but after a few days of us trying to pay the rent (as he gave us his son's account details but they wouldn't work) he finally saw sense and gave us his bank details so we could actually pay it properly. Quite frankly he just doesn't seem to understand how internet banking or standing orders etc work. :rolleyes:

Yeah, so they might just be a bit of an idiot rather than actually be doing anything dodgy...

Reply 4

kumori

I would never pay rent in cash, since there is no proof you gave him the rent if I did

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 5

LolaLowe

You are right not to do this OP. If you do ever pay in cash make sure you print out a letter which says the date, the amount of money, who gave it to whom and for what exactly (November rent for the property @ <address>) etc, print two copies and both parties sign both copies, each person keeps a copy, so you have a copy signed by him and you to prove you paid it, and so does he.

The withholding of a/c name and number and sort code is silly, all of that info is right there every time you give someone a cheque, its not confidential!

You are right to ask your housing officer, good call!

Reply 6

Bill_Gates

Of course its not wrong paying in cash. He will have a rent book you can buy a rent book too and ask him to sign it when you pay cash. Many landlords accept cash.

Reply 7

River85

Original post by heidigirl

My previous landlords have had no problems with standing orders and internet banking, though my current landlord does. He seems similar Old fashioned and "doesn't trust Internet banking". But at least he accepts cheques. Does your landlord not accept cheques?

With your landlord, and possibly the OP's also, I suspect they aren't just "old fashioned" as my landlord is. They could just be on the fiddle with the taxman. I don't see why they wouldn't accept cheques.

Original post by kumori

I would never pay rent in cash, since there is no proof you gave him the rent if I did

Posted from TSR Mobile

There is, providing you get a signed receipt from him. Though I'd be uncomfortable with a landlord asking for rent in cash only, as it would lead me to suspect he's fiddling the taxman (or otherwise dodgy) I'd still perhaps pay him providing he gave me a signed receipt showing payment there and then.

Reply 8

ThePants999

With my first landlady, I asked to pay by BACS but she said no, wanted it all in cash. When we turned up with the deposit and first month's rent in huge wads of small bills, she was like, "So, er, next month... BACS, then?"