Housemate won't pay bills 50/50

Ray Palmer

I really don't get the people who think the landlord is responsible or should be involved. Unless the landlord put the two people together it has nothing to do with him.

The_Conductor

Who is this girl- and how was she introduced into the apartment?
If the landlord found her- she is the landlord's issue- if your girlfriend found her- well, they are jointly and severally responsible for the tenancy.

As for the meter readings- what about all the standing charges you have on gas and electricity accounts?
Aka- its not just usage- its also having the facility to use it. If you don't pay the standing charge- you get disconnected- regardless of whether or not you use one iota of power or gas..........

Its a right clusterfúck.

Jim 77

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I really don't get the people who think the landlord is responsible or should be involved. Unless the landlord put the two people together it has nothing to do with him.

Technically, you are right but as a landlord I'd have no problem with a tenant coming to me with the same or a similar problem. I wouldn't want to see one of my tenants screwing over another and besides the situation could escalate and the landlord could be left with all bills (minus deposits) and a lot of hassle.

I think the landlord could resolve this situation quickly and hopefully the OP's friend has one that's prepared to get involved.

DesperateDan

It's easier said than done to just 'make her put half the bills in her name'. If she just says no, they have another argument nothing is sorted at all.

Nothing to do but get her out of the house asap, lowering herself to her level with games of calculating her own usage or blocking Internet access are just stop gaps that won't fix anything.

You would wonder how this person was raised if they think that's appropriate behaviour for an adult. If she is still in doubt her behaviour is wrong, show her this thread in a lovely (formal) mail.

dzilla

This is such a common practice out of mean folks im afraid. We advertised a room recently in our share and one of the main points on the advertisement and what was reinforced when people viewed the place was that all bills are split equally even if you never watch the tv, use the net, are tethering your phone, take cold showers, go home the weekend etc etc. Its a sad state of affairs that this has to be said to people.

dzilla

Your girlfriend should ask the other person what is the contingency for when both of them are on holidays in the same calander month. Who would pay the bills if both people where not there?

Sono

dzilla wrote: »

This is such a common practice out of mean folks im afraid. We advertised a room recently in our share and one of the main points on the advertisement and what was reinforced when people viewed the place was that all bills are split equally even if you never watch the tv, use the net, are tethering your phone, take cold showers, go home the weekend etc etc. Its a sad state of affairs that this has to be said to people.

That is unbelievable!

Neyite

dzilla wrote: »

This is such a common practice out of mean folks im afraid. We advertised a room recently in our share and one of the main points on the advertisement and what was reinforced when people viewed the place was that all bills are split equally even if you never watch the tv, use the net, are tethering your phone, take cold showers, go home the weekend etc etc. Its a sad state of affairs that this has to be said to people.

I've only encountered it once ever - a house with a lot of Polish lads split their bills by the days they spent in the house - however, the standing charges were shared equally first and then the daily usage was worked out.

But every tenant was on board with it and every tenant paid their agreed share. To me it seemed like a lot of faff to split even the smaller bills such as TV licence between 12 lads on a per-day basis, but they all seemed happy with it.

In this case though, the tenant is changing the rules that have been common practice since before she moved in. Work on getting her out of the house - talk to the landlord, because if your GF moves out, the landlord is the one that will get stiffed for the bills, and this sounds exactly the type to consider not paying the last month's rent either or doing a runner so the LL will be out of pocket, so the LL will want them gone as much as your GF.

Ray Palmer

Jim 77 wrote: »

Technically, you are right but as a landlord I'd have no problem with a tenant coming to me with the same or a similar problem. I wouldn't want to see one of my tenants screwing over another and besides the situation could escalate and the landlord could be left with all bills (minus deposits) and a lot of hassle.

I think the landlord could resolve this situation quickly and hopefully the OP's friend has one that's prepared to get involved.

I have been doing this a long time and I can say never get involved in other peoples' arguments that have nothing to do with you. A landlord is not a substitute for a parent or teacher.
The bills are not in the landlord's name so never has to pay. That has luckily changed from the old days when changing a name on the bill was near on impossible and had a charge.

dixiefly

The_Conductor wrote: »

Who is this girl- and how was she introduced into the apartment?
If the landlord found her- she is the landlord's issue- if your girlfriend found her- well, they are jointly and severally responsible for the tenancy.

As for the meter readings- what about all the standing charges you have on gas and electricity accounts?
Aka- its not just usage- its also having the facility to use it. If you don't pay the standing charge- you get disconnected- regardless of whether or not you use one iota of power or gas..........

Its a right clusterfúck.

This is a key point and should indicate the direction the gf should take.

Victor

JackieChang wrote: »

My girlfriend's housemate is giving her a lot of trouble. She's not paying electricity or gas or internet for the times she's not in the house. She will literally get a calculator out and start calculating which days she was in the house and pay for those days.

Does she keep food in the fridge / freezer for these times? :pac:

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I have been doing this a long time and I can say never get involved in other peoples' arguments that have nothing to do with you. A landlord is not a substitute for a parent or teacher.

Sure, but the landlord needs to be aware they may be the next mark.

Mrs OBumble

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I have been doing this a long time and I can say never get involved in other peoples' arguments that have nothing to do with you. A landlord is not a substitute for a parent or teacher.

Agreed.

And this is a perfect example of why the LL should never be involved in selecting individual housemates: if the LL found this person, then her behaviour IS the LL's problem, and I would lose no time making them sort it out.




But if the LL did not find the tenant, then the GF needs to sort it. One option is:

1) Do even more complicated sums splitting out the daily charge vs the unit charge. Everyone has to pay an equal share of the daily charges. But apportion the usage-based charges based on days present. (Don't forget to include houses guests - billed to the person who had the guest :-) )

and

2) Tell the housemate that they will need to remove all their stuff from the frige / deepfreeze / hotpress while they are away. (Can't be using cooling or heating while not paying for it.) Comment that if they forget, you will do it for them.



Hopefully this will either soften their cough, or force them to move out.


Years ago, I had a housemate move in on Sunday, by Wednesday we'd agreed to ask her to leave, I told her on Thursday and she was gone the following Saturday - because of precisely an issue like this. Nip it in the bud fast, or you'll be stuff with bollox-behaviour for ages.

KellyXX

Just tell your gf to reply to the emails saying that she wasn't in the house any of the time the housemate wasn't, but also she wasn't in the house another few times too. So her bill is cheaper than the housemates.
That will soon sort it.
But fgs get the bills out of your gfs name. That will just get worse.

evolving_doors

KellyXX wrote: »

Just tell your gf to reply to the emails saying that she wasn't in the house any of the time the housemate wasn't, but also she wasn't in the house another few times too. So her bill is cheaper than the housemates.
That will soon sort it.
But fgs get the bills out of your gfs name. That will just get worse.

I think any attempt at negotiating with this Lula is pointless.
All bills have to be paid... the wagon knows it.

JackieChang

KellyXX wrote: »

But fgs get the bills out of your gfs name. That will just get worse.

Who's name should it go in then? There's no way this wan will put them in her name, she's too tight.

SNNUS

This one is in cuckoo land, tightness is a horrible trait..If she says it's not fair , send her a link to this forum.. she needs to wake up to the world or have zero friends.

mada82

Maybe this person is just naive and needs to be sat down and explained that’s how renting a room works.

Would another solution be to cancel something like the electric/gas/internet and just say it got cut off as you didn’t have the money? Let her stay in your place until the other one got the message.

The_Conductor

mada82 wrote: »

Maybe this person is just naive and needs to be sat down and explained that’s how renting a room works.

Would another solution be to cancel something like the electric/gas/internet and just say it got cut off as you didn’t have the money? Let her stay in your place until the other one got the message.

She isn't renting a room- she is a co-signee on the lease of a property with the OP's girlfriend. This is no rent-a-room situation- its a fullblown freeloading situation.

mada82

The_Conductor wrote: »

She isn't renting a room- she is a co-signee on the lease of a property with the OP's girlfriend. This is no rent-a-room situation- its a fullblown freeloading situation.

My suggestions still stand though.

A2LUE42

Did the OP state who got this other girl, was it his GF or the letting agent?

Eric Cartman

myshirt wrote: »

To be fair, what about a scenario where housemate is out of house from 8am to 10pm between work, gym, and other things, whereas other housemate is there all the time and is constantly freezing, watching the TV, cooking dinners while others eat most main meals outside the house. This runs up mad bills.

I've had 3 friends living in houses well insulated already, and yet the women in there were blasting on the heating, like a sauna it was. One girl even had an electric heater by the bed. Genuinely nothing wrong with the insulation, seals on the windows, or anything. Now these lads paid their share, but this thread would get you thinking, do some people take the piss

I used to live with an unemployed lad like that. Heating on all the time, all meals cooked etc... used to run up massive bills and then freak out about the cost and try blame everyone else for it. It's why I refuse to house share with people who aren't doing something outside of the house for atleast 40 hours a week now.

OP, just put the electricity in her name , work out what you're owed in back bills and refuse to pay her anything until that share has been balanced.

evolving_doors

Eric Cartman wrote: »

I used to live with an unemployed lad like that. Heating on all the time, all meals cooked etc... used to run up massive bills and then freak out about the cost and try blame everyone else for it. It's why I refuse to house share with people who aren't doing something outside of the house for atleast 40 hours a week now.

OP, just put the electricity in her name , work out what you're owed in back bills and refuse to pay her anything until that share has been balanced.

That would need the numpty housemate's consent.

James 007

Eric Cartman wrote: »

I used to live with an unemployed lad like that. Heating on all the time, all meals cooked etc... used to run up massive bills and then freak out about the cost and try blame everyone else for it. It's why I refuse to house share with people who aren't doing something outside of the house for atleast 40 hours a week now.

OP, just put the electricity in her name , work out what you're owed in back bills and refuse to pay her anything until that share has been balanced.

This exactly what happened to me. I moved into a house where there were 3 others, one girl then decided to move in her 'boyfriend' from Newcastle UK into her double room. To this day I still am not convinced that it was her boyfriend, she used to work in an old folks home and didnt have much money. He was unemployed and guess what the heat was on all day. I was livid with this and the landlord to be fair did mention that the bills should be split evenly. I still was not happy as I moved into a house with 4 max. not 5 eventually moved out.

Ray Donovan

This must be a serious pain in the hole for your gf. The stress of it.

Any feasible way of just getting her out of the house?

Failing that your gf will just have to bite the bullet and leave.

That other girl is a total c-bag. What sort of upbringing did she get?

Ray Donovan

By the way,

I also agree on forwarding on a link to this thread to that girl.

PropJoe10

Just to echo what everyone else has said - it sounds like this person needs a short sharp shock and to be made to realise what the concept of "sharing a house" is. Get her out, is my advice. Life is too short to be dealing with muppets like that.

evolving_doors

PropJoe10 wrote: »

Just to echo what everyone else has said - it sounds like this person needs a short sharp shock and to be made to realise what the concept of "sharing a house" is. Get her out, is my advice. Life is too short to be dealing with muppets like that.

How do you 'get her out though. That's the question?

PropJoe10

evolving_doors wrote: »

How do you 'get her out though. That's the question?

Pour a bucket of fish guts into the area around the radiator in her room, and let nature take its course?

evolving_doors

PropJoe10 wrote: »

Pour a bucket of fish guts into the area around the radiator in her room, and let nature take its course?

:pac:

JackieChang

That's basically the answer we're looking for at this stage. How to get her the F out of the house!

Letting agency wasn't open today so will try again tomorrow.