Renting rooms to students - rent for holiday periods

Hannaho

We are renting two room to students in a house that my children are using for college. The rent we receive covers our children's college costs and part of the mortgage. We made it clear that the rooms were being rented for the academic year, i.e. until end of April/beginning of May. Now the two students are going home for 4 weeks, and say they don't see why they should have to pay rent, but we were very clear at the start about holiday periods etc up until the end of the academic year. What can we do in this situation?

runawaybishop

Tell them to pay or find somewhere else to stay.

Hannaho

Thanks. I think this is the tack I will take. It is our first time letting these rooms. I discovered afterwards that we were asking around 100 euros less than others in the area for the same rooms - so they are getting a fairly good deal.

zerosugarbuzz

Hannaho wrote: »

Thanks. I think this is the tack I will take. It is our first time letting these rooms. I discovered afterwards that we were asking around 100 euros less than others in the area for the same rooms - so they are getting a fairly good deal.

I think a lot of people give time off for Christmas, 2 weeks would be pretty standard. Why not compromise and offer that.

Samuel T. Cogley

I'd charge them a bit extra for the life lessons, although I see they've covered off chancing their arm 101.

Hannaho

Zerosugarbuzz, we can't really afford to let them have two weeks off at Christmas - the second half of our children's college fees are due in Jan. There was over 300 people looking for these rooms when we advertised them, and we could have given them to any number of young working people, but felt that college student might suit the house better. We were very clear when renting the rooms out, and we are relying on the money for college and mortgage costs.

Dublinandy3

I'd of loved to get my rent back when I was a student for the holidays. I didn't because it was still technically my room and I could use it or keep stuff in it. I doubt they take every single item back with them.

Maybe next year when I go on holiday I could as for a rent holiday too. Lol, sounds like they're trying to take advantage of your greenness when it comes to renting.

zerosugarbuzz

Hannaho wrote: »

Zerosugarbuzz, we can't really afford to let them have two weeks off at Christmas - the second half of our children's college fees are due in Jan. There was over 300 people looking for these rooms when we advertised them, and we could have given them to any number of young working people, but felt that college student might suit the house better. We were very clear when renting the rooms out, and we are relying on the money for college and mortgage costs.

You asked for opinions and that is mine. Life is not all about greed. Anyway do what you want but I don’t understand asking a question when you only want one answer.

Hannaho

It's not about greed Sugarbuzz. We have to pay 1500 euros for 2nd half of our children's fees in Jan - we don't have that money to hand without this rent. If we were wealthy enough we would be able to pay all the children's fees at start of year. I was just trying to find out what is usual in terms of students and paying for holiday periods.

zerosugarbuzz

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

I think a lot of people give time off for Christmas, 2 weeks would be pretty standard. Why not compromise and offer that.

Lol
I have never heard of landlords giving holiday breaks!
OP, tell them they pay their rent or move out.

zerosugarbuzz

And I pointed out that in my experience 2 weeks off at Christmas is normal. Anyway it’s between you and them or more likely their parents.

Stihl waters

Does the bank give you a week off when you head off to Spain on your holiday, tell them if they're not going to pay bring all their stuff with them and don't come back

zerosugarbuzz

bubblypop wrote: »

Lol
I have never heard of landlords giving holiday breaks!
OP, tell them they pay their rent or move out.

Not for working renters but for students it is. I rented to students and gave this time off. It suited me too as I could get any maintenance done while they were away if needed.

Stihl waters

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

Not for working renters but for students it is. I rented to students and gave this time off. It suited me too as I could get any maintenance done while they were away if needed.

The op has said money is tight, they also made it clear when the renters moved in what the situation was, I wouldn't be moving on this point, a deal is a deal

zerosugarbuzz

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

Not for working renters but for students it is. I rented to students and gave this time off. It suited me too as I could get any maintenance done while they were away if needed.

I would suggest the whole summer when the students are not there should be enough time to do any maintenance.

zerosugarbuzz

bubblypop wrote: »

I would suggest the whole summer when the students are not there should be enough time to do any maintenance.

Each to their own I guess.

The J Stands for Jay

Dublinandy3 wrote: »

I'd of loved to get my rent back when I was a student for the holidays. I didn't because it was still technically my room and I could use it or keep stuff in it. I doubt they take every single item back with them.

Maybe next year when I go on holiday I could as for a rent holiday too. Lol, sounds like they're trying to take advantage of your greenness when it comes to renting.

In first year, I didn't have to pay rent for the holidays, but I did have to move all my stuff out and hand back the key.

zerosugarbuzz

Stihl waters wrote: »

The op has said money is tight, they also made it clear when the renters moved in what the situation was, I wouldn't be moving on this point, a deal is a deal

Legally the op hasn’t a leg to stand on. If she would prefer they went home and rented elsewhere in January then that’s her risk to take. With so many working and studying from home there must be plenty of accommodation options available to the students. Joe Duffy covers this very topic regularly.!

machiavellianme

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

And I pointed out that in my experience 2 weeks off at Christmas is normal. Anyway it’s between you and them or more likely their parents.

You are the only person I've ever come across who got a 2 week break in rent as "normal". It doesn't happen. I spent 12 years renting and never once had such a break nor known any of my peers to have one.
Are you one of the 2 students chancing their arm here?

Would be interesting to know who is actually paying the rent, if it's the parents maybe the students are chancing their arm to get a few quid for themselves!!

Dav010

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

Legally the op hasn’t a leg to stand on. If she would prefer they went home and rented elsewhere in January then that’s her risk to take. With so many working and studying from home there must be plenty of accommodation options available to the students. Joe Duffy covers this very topic regularly.!

Eh, how do you make out the op hasn’t a leg to stand on? He/she let the room for the academic year, that includes end of term breaks.

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

You asked for opinions and that is mine. Life is not all about greed.

It is not greed to charge the agreed amount, which apparently is quite a bit lower than the going rate.

machiavellianme

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

Legally the op hasn’t a leg to stand on. If she would prefer they went home and rented elsewhere in January then that’s her risk to take. With so many working and studying from home there must be plenty of accommodation options available to the students. Joe Duffy covers this very topic regularly.!

That's not necessarily true. The OP may well have a contract or lease agreement in place.
Regardless, there are minimum requirements that both sides must respect and blanket statements mentioning the law, without any further evidence, are simply wrong.

Dav010

machiavellianme wrote: »

That's not necessarily true. The OP may well have a contract or lease agreement in place.
Regardless, there are minimum requirements that both sides must respect and blanket statements mentioning the law, without any further evidence, are simply wrong.

Letting agreements do not have to be written, and as the students are living with the op’s children in the house, the students are licensees, if they don’t pay, pack up their stuff.

bucketybuck

Hannaho wrote: »

Now the two students are going home for 4 weeks, and say they don't see why they should have to pay rent, but we were very clear at the start about holiday periods etc up until the end of the academic year. What can we do in this situation?

If they don't pay the agreed rent then don't let them return after the 4 weeks. Simple.

Whats next, if they stay at home for 8 weeks do they get to decide to not pay the rent for that as well?

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

I think a lot of people give time off for Christmas, 2 weeks would be pretty standard. Why not compromise and offer that.

Pretty standard? Nonsense.

machiavellianme

Dav010 wrote: »

Letting agreements do not have to be written, and as the students are living with the op’s children in the house, the students are licensees, if they don’t pay, pack up their stuff.

Agreed, hence my carefully worded sentence.

BrokenArrows

OP,

It is totally normal, and expected for your tenants to pay while they are away for 4 weeks.

If they are refusing to pay for this period then they need to not return and you can rent the rooms out to someone else. Its as simple as that.

You need the money and those were the rules set out at the beginning.

It doesnt matter if some landlord dont charge for this period. You are not one of those landlords.

Kildare997

BrokenArrows wrote: »

OP,

It is totally normal, and expected for your tenants to pay while they are away for 4 weeks.

If they are refusing to pay for this period then they need to not return and you can rent the rooms out to someone else. Its as simple as that.

You need the money and those were the rules set out at the beginning.

It doesnt matter if some landlord dont charge for this period. You are not one of those landlords.

Agreed, I’ve never heard of a payment holiday given for Christmas. If the OP agrees to the break, next thing it’ll be Easter too. Give an inch expect to give a mile...

JimmyVik

BrokenArrows wrote: »

OP,

It is totally normal, and expected for your tenants to pay while they are away for 4 weeks.

If they are refusing to pay for this period then they need to not return and you can rent the rooms out to someone else. Its as simple as that.

You need the money and those were the rules set out at the beginning.

It doesnt matter if some landlord dont charge for this period. You are not one of those landlords.

Make sure you get the rent off them for the holidays in advance.
Wouldnt be good to suddenly find after the holidays they decided not to come back but you have kept the place empty in the expectation that they would come back.

Bicyclette

As a parent who had kids renting rooms in university, I think you are well within line to expect payment over Christmas. Lose that battle and they will then be telling you that e.g. they stayed in Mary's last Wednesday night so no need to pay rent for Wednesday and so on.

Give them the option - tell them if they don't want to pay rent for Christmas, they can remove all of their stuff and take it home with them. And if the room is still available when its time to return to class, you are happy to discuss things with them.

And if they do take their stuff, make it known publicly that you are seeking new people for the room.

Victor

With digs, it is somewhat common for there to be some leniency during Christmas, etc.

Anything else, no.

Padre_Pio

Simply tell them they need to remove all their belongings from the house for the weeks they're not paying rent, and you're renting out the rooms to someone else for the month.