Can't move into student house - Liable for entire rent - I'm screwed!

Hi!

Would love a little bit of help here as I'm completely stuck.

So I was at university (1st year) and unfortunately I didn't pass one of my exams so can't continue with my second year. I also have a startup company and we're flying to San Francisco in August to join an accelerator program and that's when the resit is. There is no way I can resit that exam at all until next year as I won't be here for that, so I'll have to wait it out until August 2015.

Now my issue is that I signed an agreement with a student lettings company. The contract has no break clause, they have asked me to find another student but so far there hasn't been a single person that has gotten in touch and its also unlikely anyone will either.

As a result, I'm liable for the entire year of rent, which amounts to around £5,000. I cannot afford this in any way shape or form and nor can my guarantor. I'm basically screwed.

The landlord also won't ever release me from the contract, apparently he's an absolute as* from what I've heard from the previous tenants.

What can I possibly do? Could I possibly ask Student Finance to pay it and then make that part of my loan? I would really appreciate some help, its an absolutely stressful situation and I really don't want to go to court and end up having my life finished before its even started, I can't sleep or eat properly either, its constantly on my mind!

Thanks!

Reply 1

Old_Simon

Students failing exams, flying to San Francisco for start ups, and complaining about contracts which they entered into deserve zero sympathy.

Reply 2

Georgiina_Tee

Keep looking, on Facebook there usually a group by your UNI you can usually post on

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 3

username1221160

Student Finance won't help you as you won't be studying at university next year.

The landlord is not being unreasonable as you signed the contract. Start paying the rent and hope that someone comes along to take over the contract sooner rather than later.

Reply 4

username457532

This is kind of your fault. If you knew you couldn't be there for retakes you should have tried extra hard in your exams.

Reply 5

Shelby95

Have you actually tried contacting the landlord, try speaking to him and explaining the situation? Or you could actually go do your exam resit so you can carry on with your degree. What would cost you more, failing a year of uni and losing your contract, or paying for an extra return flight to do your exams?

And as for your accommodation is it shared or a studio? Plus remember there are still potential first years who haven't booked accommodation yet as they are waiting for their results.

Reply 6

David B

Where is this accommodation? And what course did you fail?

Reply 7

arguendo

is it just the one fail? i'd suggest talking to your personal tutor/department to see if you can progress to second year and take the failed first year module alongside it. it's a uni-by-uni thing so your mileage may vary, but i know a few people who were allowed to do this at my university.

otherwise you have no option but to find someone to replace you. or go to the august resit and pass, or defer & pay the rent (in which case you might want to move in anyway & work to fund the rent during the year?). where have you been advertising the room? are you actively trying to find someone by posting across spareroom/gumtree/university noticeboards/facebook groups etc and using all the opportunities available to you?

just to check - have you actually been given permission to defer your august resit until 2015? again, it's university-by-university policy so your mileage may vary, but at my undergrad, the only procedure for not sitting an examination at the earliest opportunity was if you had been granted deferral due to mitigating circumstances. failure to attend without being granted that would mean another failed examination due to absence.