Landlady/Landlord responsibility

top_dog

Hi, I having been in a house share with 2 other girls for the past 10 months. We are all tenants in the house and signed separate leases with the landlady. Over the past few weeks I have been getting very disturbing and harassing messages from one of the girls in the house. So I decided to leave the house but this girl was not making it easy for me to leave. She is responsible for the bills as payment goes through her.
All bills were paid up to the last month. I rang the landlady and informed her that I could no longer deal with this girl and that she was out of control. I wanted the landlady to take money from my deposit and use that for the bills. I didn't care if I didn't see any of the deposit back even though the deposit would of covered the bills owed 10 times over.

The landlady proceeded to go on a rant to me about how I was putting her under so much stress and how it was my responsibility to settle things and I was a disgrace to even ask this.

This other girl was sending such harassing and disturbing messages that I had to get the guards to the house in order to collect my stuff as I was afraid for my safety and safety of my stuff.

Can a landlady/landlord wash their hands off a situation like this when they have a tenant in the house that is so out of control?

Thanks!

Sadderday

stand up for yourself !!!!

leonidas83

top_dog wrote: »

Hi, I having been in a house share with 2 other girls for the past 10 months. We are all tenants in the house and signed separate leases with the landlady. Over the past few weeks I have been getting very disturbing and harassing messages from one of the girls in the house. So I decided to leave the house but this girl was not making it easy for me to leave. She is responsible for the bills as payment goes through her.
All bills were paid up to the last month. I rang the landlady and informed her that I could no longer deal with this girl and that she was out of control. I wanted the landlady to take money from my deposit and use that for the bills. I didn't care if I didn't see any of the deposit back even though the deposit would of covered the bills owed 10 times over.

The landlady proceeded to go on a rant to me about how I was putting her under so much stress and how it was my responsibility to settle things and I was a disgrace to even ask this.

This other girl was sending such harassing and disturbing messages that I had to get the guards to the house in order to collect my stuff as I was afraid for my safety and safety of my stuff.

Can a landlady/landlord wash their hands off a situation like this when they have a tenant in the house that is so out of control?

Thanks!

This is ridiculous, no the landlord cant just wash their hands of any situation like this. Have you been in contact with threshold or the PRTB yet. IF you havent contact them immediately & let the landlord know you have done so

Two things though, is this other girl harrassing you over non payment of a bill or something else?

Secondly you really shouldnt be using the deposit to pay off your utility bills, the deposit is there for a specific reason, the non payment of rent or damage to the apartment.

I'm with the landlady. If the house is a house share let to a group of girls, then its your responsibility to manage things between you. Its not her role to deal individually with you and to sort out the relational problems within the group.

Skerries

can you not just give the money to the other tenant or arrange all your dealings with her when the antagonistic tenant is out?

leonidas83

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm with the landlady. If the house is a house share let to a group of girls, then its your responsibility to manage things between you. Its not her role to deal individually with you and to sort out the relational problems within the group.

How will she feel when she has no other tenants in the house because of one nutjob. Then she might feel like she has to do something about it, being a landlord is no different to being in a business really, unless she starts managing this situation she's going to pay for it in the long run.

LeNNoX

top dog,

There is a level of obligation the landlady has.

"You are entitled to quiet and exclusive enjoyment of your home"
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/tenants_rights_and_obligations.html

I don't think it's acceptable for the landlady to wash her hands. Tell her you have done all you can to resolve the situation (assuming you have?) and were left with no choice but to leave. Now you want to sort out the bills and your deposit so you can move it.
If the landlady doesn't want to assist with resloving things, then bring it to the https://www.prtb.ie/ for their advice on the matter.


DrDonkey, I can see your point in terms of the landlady for ease of management, but each person signed a separate lease which gives each person equal rights.

leonidas83

leonidas83 wrote: »

Yes technically its not her responsibility but how will she feel when she has no other tenants in the house because of one nutjob. Then she might feel like she has to do something about it, being a landlord is no different to being in a business really, unless she starts managing this situation she's going to pay for it in the long run.

The way to manage this is not to interfere at a personal level. Its now up to the two remaining girls to find a third tenant and meanwhile they are liable for the entire rent. Group dynamics are a strange thing and a different third sharer might result in a stable group.
If the group breaks up completely then its time to seek new tenants.

djimi

If this was a normal tenancy, ie you were all covered by the same lease, then I would say it is very much your own problem to sort out the issue between you and the other tenant, and the landlord has every right to stay out of it.

However, seeing as how you each have your own seperate lease, I suspect the legalities of it may be somewhat different. To be honest, Id say your best bet might be to contact Threshold and see what they have to say.

What does your lease say? Are you tied to the property on a fixed term?

I would assume that the three leases are identical and make them each liable for the entire rent for the whole house.
If however the landlord is doing individual leases for one third of the rent, renting a bedroom and access to common areas, then its quite different...

djimi

Why would you assume that? In the case of separate leases per tenant it would be normal to charge by the room. If each tenant has the same lease covering the entire rent for the house then each tenant would be liable to pay the full amount each month.

Most house shares are constructed on the basis that the rent is due no matter how many tenants remain. If two tenants leave the last one is liable to produce the entire rent, either by paying it themselves, getting replacements (acceptable to the landlord) or by holding the departed tenants to their obligations. I know some solicitors prefer to do individual leases but would still keep to these principles.
Letting out individual bedrooms is different and then the relationship is primarily with the landlord/lady, not with the other tenants.

djimi

Deleted User wrote: »

Most house shares are constructed on the basis that the rent is due no matter how many tenants remain. If two tenants leave the last one is liable to produce the entire rent, either by paying it themselves, getting replacements (acceptable to the landlord) or by holding the departed tenants to their obligations. I know some solicitors prefer to do individual leases but would still keep to these principles.
Letting out individual bedrooms is different and then the relationship is primarily with the landlord/lady, not with the other tenants.

The first scenario you describe is where everyone is signed on the same single lease.

The OP has stated that they each have their own lease.

Marcusm

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm with the landlady. If the house is a house share let to a group of girls, then its your responsibility to manage things between you. Its not her role to deal individually with you and to sort out the relational problems within the group.

You are mistaken as there is no "group" or single relationship; the OP has clearly stated that they each have contractual relations with the landlord separately. It is therefore very much the landlrd's reponisbility to ensure that there are no disputes or any interference by one resident with the enjoyment by the other tenants of the property. This is one reason why this sort of arrangement is not very common - the landlord must, in these circumstances, expect to spend more time on the day to day running of the property.

top_dog

I have left the property with the help of the guards. We each signed separate leases so the tenants that remain will pay the same rent as before.
I could get the other girl who I get on really well with to pay the bills but I just need to get some sort of receipt as I am not sure what the other girl will come up with and claim in the future.
The girl I get on really well with in the house informed me that the abusive girl not too long prior to this event had sent threatening and abusive messages to a male friend of hers so it's not the first time. She is going to leave as well so the landlady will be left with just 1 tenant.
And no she is not harrassing me over non payment of bills for the house or anything to do with the house.