Roommate problem - suggestions?

watna

Hi, Apologies if this is in the wrong place. I looked for a property/tenant/room mate forum but couldn't find anything!

Basically I'm just looking for a little advice. I hope this isn't too long! I live in an apartment with my bf and a room mate, we'll call her Anna. My dad is the landlord but myself and my bf pay full rent. Anna pays hers directly to him separately. We're moving to NZ in 2 months so are vacating the apartment at the end of this month. We told Anna this and said she could stay on or move out, it was up to her. At the moment she has no job - she told us she's been out of work for a month. When she did have a job she worked in a shop on minimum wage. She's not the brighest spark and I have my doubts as to whether she is all there or not.

Anyway, my dad calls last Sunday to say Anna had not paid her rent. My bf went in to discuss it with her and she says "oh, I'm moving out at the end of the month, my deposit can be my last month's rent". My bf said (patiently), ok, you can't do that, you have to pay your rent and you have to tell the landlord this, he can't be expected to know telepathically why you have't paid your rent. We were a bit worried as she owes us a bit for bills and our plan was to take it out of the deposit that my dad was going to give back to her. My dad would then give us the money. This way we'll definitely get it and everyone will get what they're owed. So 3 days ago, she rang my dad to say she was moving out and could not afford to pay her rent and wanted him to just not give her back her deposit. He said that's not the best idea so she agreed to pay him half the rent and only get half her deposit back. We were happy enough with this as we'd get our €150 for bills. We thought my dad was being a bit soft but it's not really our business, as long as we get our money. Anyway, she never paid the rent and we don't know how we're going to get our bill money. She told my dad she has no money, and she has no job. If she doesn't pay the rent then my dad will have to keep all her deposit for the last month's rent and we'll have to demand the bill money from her. I don't think it will be forthcoming as we're pretty sure she has no money and has been avoiding us for the last week too.

What can we do to get money from her? I really don't think there is much we can do. We're all moving out in three weeks (so the girl has no money, no job and no place to live!) so it's not like she can pay us in a months time. It's just so enfuriating because she leaves all the lights and heating on all the time and yet we're going to have to pay the whole bill.

Any suggestions? My bf is really p*ssed off and wants to hold her stuff hostage or double lock the door so she can't get back in but I don't think that's really a feasible option!

mcaul

Her contract for the rent is with your dad, and the deposit she paid to your dad is a deposit for her rent and any unpaid bills she leave behind. (assuming she had a basic written contract)

So if your Dad is as soft as you say, you should be able to get the money off him in a 50/50 deal or come to a "discount" arrangement and say to "Anna" - you understand she has very little income but bills have to be paid, but considering the situation she is in you'll agree to a payment of €100 towards bills and call it quits!

As for holding goods to ransom - this would give her a valid excuse for not paying and not worth the hassle.

dudara

Moved to the Accomodation & Property forum.

In reality, the correct course is that she pays her last month rent in full, and receives her deposit back, less any deductions.

Is your Dad registered with the PRTB?

SarahMc

watna wrote: »

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Any suggestions? My bf is really p*ssed off and wants to hold her stuff hostage or double lock the door so she can't get back in but I don't think that's really a feasible option!

No no no. Not just not feasible, but illegal.

Your argument is with your dad, not Anna.

watna

The holding stuff hostage was a joke. We wouldn't really do that.

My dad called me this morning. She was able to pay a quarter of her rent this month, but that's all. So she'll only get her deposit back minus our bill money. There's enough to cover our bills so we're happy. I was just worried as bills are direct debited from my bank account.

How she's going to find another place with no money and now no deposit (she's going to get €50 back) is anybody's guess. Some people's stupidity scares me!

Thanks for the advice.

tbh

watna wrote: »

How she's going to find another place with no money and now no deposit (she's going to get €50 back) is anybody's guess.

not your problem, don't waste another second thinking about it. (I know you weren't going to, just telling you you're right not to )

JonnyC

watna wrote: »

Hi, Apologies if this is in the wrong place. I looked for a property/tenant/room mate forum but couldn't find anything!

Basically I'm just looking for a little advice. I hope this isn't too long! I live in an apartment with my bf and a room mate, we'll call her Anna. My dad is the landlord but myself and my bf pay full rent. Anna pays hers directly to him separately. We're moving to NZ in 2 months so are vacating the apartment at the end of this month. We told Anna this and said she could stay on or move out, it was up to her. At the moment she has no job - she told us she's been out of work for a month. When she did have a job she worked in a shop on minimum wage. She's not the brighest spark and I have my doubts as to whether she is all there or not.

Anyway, my dad calls last Sunday to say Anna had not paid her rent. My bf went in to discuss it with her and she says "oh, I'm moving out at the end of the month, my deposit can be my last month's rent". My bf said (patiently), ok, you can't do that, you have to pay your rent and you have to tell the landlord this, he can't be expected to know telepathically why you have't paid your rent. We were a bit worried as she owes us a bit for bills and our plan was to take it out of the deposit that my dad was going to give back to her. My dad would then give us the money. This way we'll definitely get it and everyone will get what they're owed. So 3 days ago, she rang my dad to say she was moving out and could not afford to pay her rent and wanted him to just not give her back her deposit. He said that's not the best idea so she agreed to pay him half the rent and only get half her deposit back. We were happy enough with this as we'd get our €150 for bills. We thought my dad was being a bit soft but it's not really our business, as long as we get our money. Anyway, she never paid the rent and we don't know how we're going to get our bill money. She told my dad she has no money, and she has no job. If she doesn't pay the rent then my dad will have to keep all her deposit for the last month's rent and we'll have to demand the bill money from her. I don't think it will be forthcoming as we're pretty sure she has no money and has been avoiding us for the last week too.

What can we do to get money from her? I really don't think there is much we can do. We're all moving out in three weeks (so the girl has no money, no job and no place to live!) so it's not like she can pay us in a months time. It's just so enfuriating because she leaves all the lights and heating on all the time and yet we're going to have to pay the whole bill.

Any suggestions? My bf is really p*ssed off and wants to hold her stuff hostage or double lock the door so she can't get back in but I don't think that's really a feasible option!

If i was you i would be really worried about your bf, someone who gets really p*ssed off over 75 euro between the two of you. As you said the girl is down in her luck at the moment and all your worried about is a few quid. Shame on you. Hope things will be always this rosie for you

watna

JonnyC wrote: »

If i was you i would be really worried about your bf, someone who gets really p*ssed off over 75 euro between the two of you. As you said the girl is down in her luck at the moment and all your worried about is a few quid. Shame on you. Hope things will be always this rosie for you

Actually, we've had a lot of trouble from her over the last 6 months. This was the last straw.

And she's not down on her luck. She quit her job to sit around on the couch and watch daytime tv and now can't find another one (well actually I don't think she's really looking). I think most people know never to quit a job until you have another one lined up. If she'd lost her job it'd be different. I don't go out to work every day to a job I don't really like so she can lie around and I can pay her bills. Bills that she has mostly run up by leaving every light on and leaving the heating on all night.

tbh

JonnyC wrote: »

If i was you i would be really worried about your bf, someone who gets really p*ssed off over 75 euro between the two of you. As you said the girl is down in her luck at the moment and all your worried about is a few quid. Shame on you. Hope things will be always this rosie for you

the op or her b/f are not this girls parents. Why should they pick up the tab for her?? Can you sub me to boards for a year? it's only €50 man, don't be tight.

JonnyC

tbh wrote: »

the op or her b/f are not this girls parents. Why should they pick up the tab for her?? Can you sub me to boards for a year? it's only €50 man, don't be tight.

Yeah put up all your bank details here so and i will sort you out.

I know they are not here parents! But in all fairness is it worth the hassel of looking up her stuff for that amount of money. In the opening post the OP sound like a rich spoilt little daddys girl.

She did not explain that the girl was not looking for work and had a cut of people on mimimum wage. She just had a real smug tone about here.

Can you disagree with teh above? I think not!

watna

I was joking about locking up her stuff, as I said to a poster above.

How am I a spoilt, rich daddy's girl? I pay full rent for the apartment I live in and always make sure I have the money to pay my bills. My dad never has to bail me out and he doesn't give me any money or favours. I choose to be independent, work hard and look after myself. Why should that mean looking after someone else who quits her job and can't be bothered finding another? and by not paying wanting to pay her bills I'm rich and spoiled?

and I wasn't "having a cut" at people on minimum wage. It sounds like you have a bit of a complex there. I merely said she was on munimum wage to give some background on her financial situation.

martian1980

JonnyC wrote: »

Yeah put up all your bank details here so and i will sort you out.

I know they are not here parents! But in all fairness is it worth the hassel of looking up her stuff for that amount of money. In the opening post the OP sound like a rich spoilt little daddys girl.

She did not explain that the girl was not looking for work and had a cut of people on mimimum wage. She just had a real smug tone about here.

Can you disagree with teh above? I think not!

From JonnyC's tone, it sounds like he's some class warrior with a chip on his shoulder. Don't mind him.

monkey24

Is the deposit not a month in advance ? If so then does it not work out the same if she simply leaves that as the last months rent ?.

Your boyfriend may have anger issues if he gets really upset about something so trivial.

tbh

op has already said that the deposit was needed to cover bills that the renter ran up. ie. services she availed of, which she now needs to pay for. I honestly can't see why people are defending the renter. Also, OP states that the boyf didn't actually do anything, just made a suggestion. I might not have been so patient if someone was ripping me off.

watna

monkey24 wrote: »

Is the deposit not a month in advance ? If so then does it not work out the same if she simply leaves that as the last months rent ?.

Your boyfriend may have anger issues if he gets really upset about something so trivial.

Please.. my bf is so laid back he's almost horizontal. We're both p*ssed off and for him to be angry about it takes a few months of being taken for a ride by her. We just want to get the money we're owed and move out. We've had a lot of trouble getting bill money from her every month. Living with someone that doesn't work and expects you to pay her bills is not trivial.

Anyway, she paid a bit of her rent, enough to cover our bills so we'll get what we're owed, which is all we expect.