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Housemates from hell - help!

I am at my wits end and I just don’t know what to do. Any advice welcome!

So I live in a 14 bed house with a mixture of post-grads and 2nd year BA students. None of us knew each other before we moved in, and we are all on separate tenancy agreements for our separate bedrooms, but we share communal areas such as bathrooms, kitchen, etc. 5 of the boys in the house are what I’d describe as “antisocial” and “freeloaders”. They constantly steal food from the rest of us in the kitchen, use and abuse our kitchen stuff, play loud bass-y music late at night most nights, leave all the communal areas like a tip, leave their noss canisters all over the living room floor, and rarely pay bills on time.

6 of us are at the end of our tethers with it. And we’ve all tried EVERYTHING. Talking to them, labelling our stuff, planting “nasty” food in our cupboards, emailing the landlord, shouting at them. None of this has worked.

I really don’t want to move all my food into my room and buy a mini fridge/freezer. But even if I do, this only solves one of the problems.

What should we do?
(edited 5 years ago)

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living with 14 bed house strangers in a house was always gonna be a challenging experiecne
if was me id get a mini fridge. id also try and move out at end of semester
Original post by ELLESAPPELLE
I am at my wits end and I just don’t know what to do. Any advice welcome!

So I live in a 14 bed house with a mixture of post-grads and 2nd year BA students. None of us knew each other before we moved in, and we are all on separate tenancy agreements for our separate bedrooms, but we share communal areas such as bathrooms, kitchen, etc. 5 of the boys in the house are what I’d describe as “antisocial” and “freeloaders”. They constantly steal food from the rest of us in the kitchen, use and abuse our kitchen stuff, play loud bass-y music late at night most nights, leave all the communal areas like a tip, leave their noss canisters all over the living room floor, and rarely pay bills on time.

6 of us are at the end of our tethers with it. And we’ve all tried EVERYTHING. Talking to them, labelling our stuff, planting “nasty” food in our cupboards, emailing the landlord, shouting at them. None of this has worked.

I really don’t want to move all my food into my room and buy a mini fridge/freezer. But even if I do, this only solves one of the problems.

What should we do?


Hi! I'm sorry to hear you are struggling with your house mates. One thing I can think of that is an option is maybe looking for someone to take over your room and move somewhere else. I know a lot of people who have done this and it has worked well for them. There are usually a lot of spare rooms available this time of year because lots of people realise they don't like uni or their course etc and drop out.

I hope this helps & Let me know how you get on! :smile:
Sophia
Original post by hallamstudents
Hi! I'm sorry to hear you are struggling with your house mates. One thing I can think of that is an option is maybe looking for someone to take over your room and move somewhere else. I know a lot of people who have done this and it has worked well for them. There are usually a lot of spare rooms available this time of year because lots of people realise they don't like uni or their course etc and drop out.

I hope this helps & Let me know how you get on! :smile:
Sophia


Thank you both for replying!

Sadly, I’m not in a position financially to move elsewhere. My contract ties me into paying the full year’s worth of rent, and so I couldn’t afford that, plus the money needed for a different flat. There would also be the utter faff of moving house, which I really want to avoid.


Original post by JustonBibero
living with 14 bed house strangers in a house was always gonna be a challenging experiecne
if was me id get a mini fridge. id also try and move out at end of semester


I think if the stealing food continues I will have to look into buying a mini fridge for next term.

Not sure what to do about the other antisocial behaviour though - we are all so tired of it!

Thanks :smile:
Hi

If you are in the UK, even if a contract is fixed-term, you are sometimes able to 'assign' it to someone else to take over. This very much depends on your contract so the best thing for you to do is get some advice from a qualified housing adviser. Often your University/College/Students' Union will have someone who can give you housing advice. If not, you can check out Shelter's housing advice pages for your location England, Scotland, Wales.

If you do happen to be at Brighton Uni, we have a housing advisor who might be able to help. Get in touch with the Accommodation Office for more information.

I hope this is helpful to you!

Shiv
University of Brighton Accommodation Office

Original post by ELLESAPPELLE
Thank you both for replying!

Sadly, I’m not in a position financially to move elsewhere. My contract ties me into paying the full year’s worth of rent, and so I couldn’t afford that, plus the money needed for a different flat. There would also be the utter faff of moving house, which I really want to avoid.




I think if the stealing food continues I will have to look into buying a mini fridge for next term.

Not sure what to do about the other antisocial behaviour though - we are all so tired of it!

Thanks :smile:
yup your choice was not clever

you can't live with complete strangers even your close friends can be very different when you live with them

congrats best possible option is to try to move out :P
Personally, that sounds like hell, I struggled living with 4 others in the first year and 3 others for the rest, worse when it's friends, cause then I couldn't constantly tell them to clean up. Most contracts (as already mentioned) have a clause that allows for the contract to be taken over by someone else. It's fairly common, so I would advise looking into it.

Sort it out now, or else you may end up going off the rails like I did in the second year, one of the three course mates was a living nightmare to live with. I know what it's like, so seriously I would recommend finding any way of getting out of there. I found socialising a breeze outside of flat/house living, so that's what kept me sane.
Original post by ELLESAPPELLE
I am at my wits end and I just don’t know what to do. Any advice welcome!

So I live in a 14 bed house with a mixture of post-grads and 2nd year BA students. None of us knew each other before we moved in, and we are all on separate tenancy agreements for our separate bedrooms, but we share communal areas such as bathrooms, kitchen, etc. 5 of the boys in the house are what I’d describe as “antisocial” and “freeloaders”. They constantly steal food from the rest of us in the kitchen, use and abuse our kitchen stuff, play loud bass-y music late at night most nights, leave all the communal areas like a tip, leave their noss canisters all over the living room floor, and rarely pay bills on time.

6 of us are at the end of our tethers with it. And we’ve all tried EVERYTHING. Talking to them, labelling our stuff, planting “nasty” food in our cupboards, emailing the landlord, shouting at them. None of this has worked.

I really don’t want to move all my food into my room and buy a mini fridge/freezer. But even if I do, this only solves one of the problems.

What should we do?


Contact Shelter or your local law centre or a housing specialist at CAB. be sure to have your agreement with you and work as a group.


Links.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help
http://www.lawcentres.org.uk/i-am-looking-for-advice
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/

Option 1: Complain to landlord and get him to enforce whatever covenants or parts of the agreement the tenants are breaking. there are bound to be requirements to co exist and be considerate of co tenants/ other residents. read the agreement. This should make the LL read teh riot act to them and they either behave or he gets rid of them.

Option 2 if the LL will not enforce that, then you can claim breach of contract and seek to terminate. that will get you out of the contract.


ps I would stop the stealing by either having locks on cupboards, minimising available food in flat and keeping the most stealable food in my room .
Original post by 999tigger
Contact Shelter or your local law centre or a housing specialist at CAB. be sure to have your agreement with you and work as a group.


Links.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help
http://www.lawcentres.org.uk/i-am-looking-for-advice
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/

Option 1: Complain to landlord and get him to enforce whatever covenants or parts of the agreement the tenants are breaking. there are bound to be requirements to co exist and be considerate of co tenants/ other residents. read the agreement. This should make the LL read teh riot act to them and they either behave or he gets rid of them.

Option 2 if the LL will not enforce that, then you can claim breach of contract and seek to terminate. that will get you out of the contract.


ps I would stop the stealing by either having locks on cupboards, minimising available food in flat and keeping the most stealable food in my room .


Hi,

So the CAB does sound like our next best option. We’ve reported the boys to the landlord, referencing the specific clauses of the contract that they were breaking (noise disturbance & drug use), with photographic evidence, and the landlord replied basically telling us to get the “big men” of the house to intimidate the other boys into behaving themselves, which we were all quite shocked at!

Essentially, the landlord won’t enforce his own contract, even though there is solid evidence that they’re breaking it, unless we have well over 7 people on our side. We only have 6 and there is no possibility of convincing the others, given that they are all also antisocial / freeloading or just not really bothered by the situation.

Is there something that says the landlord HAS to enforce contract violations? There is nothing that specifies the amount of people that have to be disturbed by their actions.

I do also keep my nice food in my room now after my Chocolate was stolen :/

Thanks!
Original post by ELLESAPPELLE
Hi,

So the CAB does sound like our next best option. We’ve reported the boys to the landlord, referencing the specific clauses of the contract that they were breaking (noise disturbance & drug use), with photographic evidence, and the landlord replied basically telling us to get the “big men” of the house to intimidate the other boys into behaving themselves, which we were all quite shocked at!

Essentially, the landlord won’t enforce his own contract, even though there is solid evidence that they’re breaking it, unless we have well over 7 people on our side. We only have 6 and there is no possibility of convincing the others, given that they are all also antisocial / freeloading or just not really bothered by the situation.

Is there something that says the landlord HAS to enforce contract violations? There is nothing that specifies the amount of people that have to be disturbed by their actions.

I do also keep my nice food in my room now after my Chocolate was stolen :/

Thanks!



Talk to Shelter they are the experts, the a law centre and then CAB.

I would just consider it breach of contract and all six of you get a house together. Run through that scenario with Shelter.
LL is relying on the fact you wont do anything.
You could try getting a court order to enforce LL on his obligations or alternatively sue the LL for breach, but imo if its making you all that miserable then bail. That would be my choice even though its a hassle.
Call their mum's l. If they are going to act like children they deserve to be treated like children
Original post by ELLESAPPELLE
I am at my wits end and I just don’t know what to do. Any advice welcome!

So I live in a 14 bed house with a mixture of post-grads and 2nd year BA students. None of us knew each other before we moved in, and we are all on separate tenancy agreements for our separate bedrooms, but we share communal areas such as bathrooms, kitchen, etc. 5 of the boys in the house are what I’d describe as “antisocial” and “freeloaders”. They constantly steal food from the rest of us in the kitchen, use and abuse our kitchen stuff, play loud bass-y music late at night most nights, leave all the communal areas like a tip, leave their noss canisters all over the living room floor, and rarely pay bills on time.

6 of us are at the end of our tethers with it. And we’ve all tried EVERYTHING. Talking to them, labelling our stuff, planting “nasty” food in our cupboards, emailing the landlord, shouting at them. None of this has worked.

I really don’t want to move all my food into my room and buy a mini fridge/freezer. But even if I do, this only solves one of the problems.

What should we do?



complain to landlord?
Yeesh...

I know this is a slight tangent, but HTF do students keep getting into these seriously dodgy contracts where they are somehow tied to a full years money and have no rights? I know it's way more than the OP...I've never used student digs myself...but i'm pretty sure they weren't this evil before?

I got a proper shock when i went back to college a few years back and found tons of native students paying 4-500+ a month for grotty single room things...when they could have rented a private flat 5 mins walk away for 3-400 on a normal lease, I just didn't get it.
Original post by StriderHort
Yeesh...

I know this is a slight tangent, but HTF do students keep getting into these seriously dodgy contracts where they are somehow tied to a full years money and have no rights? I know it's way more than the OP...I've never used student digs myself...but i'm pretty sure they weren't this evil before?

I got a proper shock when i went back to college a few years back and found tons of native students paying 4-500+ a month for grotty single room things...when they could have rented a private flat 5 mins walk away for 3-400 on a normal lease, I just didn't get it.


They have no choice really. They arent dodgy they are standard.
They do have right, but they just cant break the contract fro a year in most cases. Always been this way.
Original post by 999tigger
They have no choice really. They arent dodgy they are standard.
They do have right, but they just cant break the contract fro a year in most cases. Always been this way.

Well that's literally the bit that confuses me, why don't they have the same choices I do as a student? why are their leases totally different? I've only ever dealt with short-assured-tennancies where I can quit them at a months notice...committing yourself to a full years money for a shared space you might find unlivable seems mental to me. As said I've never stayed in dedicated student housing myself but I don't remember any of my friends ever getting roped into contracts like that, but i keep seeing the same threads on TSR, 'I live in sheer hell but can't move because of this lease...somehow'
Original post by StriderHort
Well that's literally the bit that confuses me, why don't they have the same choices I do as a student? why are their leases totally different? I've only ever dealt with short-assured-tennancies where I can quit them at a months notice...committing yourself to a full years money for a shared space you might find unlivable seems mental to me. As said I've never stayed in dedicated student housing myself but I don't remember any of my friends ever getting roped into contracts like that, but i keep seeing the same threads on TSR, 'I live in sheer hell but can't move because of this lease...somehow'


What you describe is nothing I recognise. All universities have these contracts, all private halls all letting agents as far as I know. Are you in the UK?
The only time you might ave such a contract is where its direct with the landlord.
Original post by 999tigger
What you describe is nothing I recognise. All universities have these contracts, all private halls all letting agents as far as I know. Are you in the UK?
The only time you might ave such a contract is where its direct with the landlord.

Of course i'm in the UK :P You mean the Short-Assured Tennancy is the bit you don't recognise? There may be a Scotland/England variation, but thats the tenancy type i've always been on with agencies and private landlords going back 20 years odd, standard clause is you can give 4 weeks notice get your deposit back and bail.

There is obv tenancy types I don't know about, but as said I was getting increasingly confused as commiting the full year seems alien to me, how would they enforce it if you just disputed the conditions and said you were moving out?, is it paid in advance? parents as a guarantor? my bafflement is largely at why other students in my classes would pay these comical rates for a ratty box when rentable flats were 5 mins walk away....I get international students have different challenges with paperwork and history, but I'm talking about folk with the same UK and financial status as me, more or less.
Original post by StriderHort
Of course i'm in the UK :P You mean the Short-Assured Tennancy is the bit you don't recognise? There may be a Scotland/England variation, but thats the tenancy type i've always been on with agencies and private landlords going back 20 years odd, standard clause is you can give 4 weeks notice get your deposit back and bail.

There is obv tenancy types I don't know about, but as said I was getting increasingly confused as commiting the full year seems alien to me, how would they enforce it if you just disputed the conditions and said you were moving out?, is it paid in advance? parents as a guarantor? my bafflement is largely at why other students in my classes would pay these comical rates for a ratty box when rentable flats were 5 mins walk away....I get international students have different challenges with paperwork and history, but I'm talking about folk with the same UK and financial status as me, more or less.


Nothing that i recognise at all.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/assured_shorthold_tenancies_with_private_landlords

The only time you would be on a periodic tenancy is after the main one had expired or the LL is happy to rent on a monthly basis. In the lettings world this is very rare because why would they want to rent on a monthly basis and go through the hassle of repeatedly getting tenants instead of a straight 6-12 months tenancy?

There will be a small number of tenancies that might do monthly. Its up to the LL.
Original post by 999tigger
Nothing that i recognise at all.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/assured_shorthold_tenancies_with_private_landlords

The only time you would be on a periodic tenancy is after the main one had expired or the LL is happy to rent on a monthly basis. In the lettings world this is very rare because why would they want to rent on a monthly basis and go through the hassle of repeatedly getting tenants instead of a straight 6-12 months tenancy?

There will be a small number of tenancies that might do monthly. Its up to the LL.


Yea I'm the Scot version. It's not that my lease is monthly, it's for the year, I can just end the contract with a months notice, same as the landlord/agent. I think the assumption is just that i'll stay for the year unless I have a good reason otherwise.

(I did do a wee bit of reading there, and we've recently changed them a bit up in Scotland, so they NOW are rolling leases after the period has exprired)

So are you saying in England you can't do that even with agencies? End a lease after a months notice? Poor b*stards :frown:

*actually reads link* holy sht, you ARE saying that! :O
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by StriderHort
Yea I'm the Scot version. It's not that my lease is monthly, it's for the year, I can just end the contract with a months notice, same as the landlord/agent. I think the assumption is just that i'll stay for the year unless I have a good reason otherwise.

(I did do a wee bit of reading there, and we've recently changed them a bit up in Scotland, so they NOW are rolling leases after the period has exprired)

So are you saying in England you can't do that even with agencies? End a lease after a months notice? Poor b*stards :frown:


You can do it but not if they choose not to. If youd said Scottish then the connection would have been made as property law is different in Scotland.

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