Flat mate taking utilities contract with him

Fawkon

To cut a long story short, both my housemate and I are putting our apartment up to find people to take over the lease to which we are both on.

Only 2 days ago he had told me that he had found somewhere else to live and that he was moving out a.s.a.p and had already contacted the landlord.

I had planned to leave at the end of the month myself due to a job opportunity in Cork and had let him know well in advance that I'd probably have to find someone else to take over the lease in a few months time, I had no idea and he never indicated that he was planning to go before the lease ended.

For conveniences sake we had put the bills in his name and I paid my share directly into his account. Now after only a few days notice he is telling me he is switching the gas and electricity to his new residence meaning I will be left without any utilities for almost 3 weeks in the apartment until I have moved out myself.

Do I have any options or rights as far as any of you are aware?
I can't exactly set up my own new utilities bill for just one month of use...

Paulw

Fawkon wrote: »

To cut a long story short, both my housemate and I are putting our apartment up to find people to take over the lease to which we are both on.

Do I have any options or rights as far as any of you are aware?
I can't exactly set up my own new utilities bill for just one month of use...

Rights? None.

Options - setup accounts in your own name. You will probably have to pay a large deposit though.

Or maybe have the utilities put in the landlords name, and you pay him directly, and he can then change it over to the new tenant if/when they move in.

Never an easy situation.

johnnyskeleton

Gas and electricity accounts are done by connection number. So you just change it into your name on the day he leaves and into the new tenants on the day you leave. They will bill you for those three weeks.