Sub-letting in student accommodation, landlord does not know - in a spot - help

[lemonpinklady]

My daughter has moved into a private accommodation student house sharing with four others splitting the rent between the four.

 

It now transpires that one of the four has a girlfriend who also lives there all the time (in a full time job)

that wasn't mentioned at first and she is not on the lease.

 

They have now asked my daughter never to mention this girl to the managing agents as she is not supposed to be there.

 

She shares a room with her boyfriend and they pay half each of his rent.

 

Our question is - can this void my daughter's lease as she is unhappy there

- the girl in question is 'queen bee' calling the shots and generally bullying my daughter

and she wants out but has signed a lease with me as guarantor.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

[dx100uk]

prob void the whole lease for all of them.

 

either way she will be complicit when the truth comes out.

 

diff one to call

 

dx

[kirkbyinfurnesslad]

Personally I wouldn't say anything in that situation. Just for a quiet life

[lemonpinklady]

Thanks for replies. Problem is that my daughter really wants out of this house. She didn't know about the situation when she moved in.

[ericsbrother]

Biggest problem is as all other tenants are students no council tax is due on property. This other person's presence will really screw it up for them and the landlord if the council get wind of it. her best bet is to get someone else to take over and assign the lease. Best get LL to agree to that and if it is not possible tell the girl in question that the nuclear button will be pressed if she doesnt sort herself out.

[lemonpinklady]

Biggest problem is as all other tenants are students no council tax is due on property. This other person's presence will really screw it up for them and the landlord if the council get wind of it. her best bet is to get someone else to take over and assign the lease. Best get LL to agree to that and if it is not possible tell the girl in question that the nuclear button will be pressed if she doesnt sort herself out.

 

Thanks so much for telling us this - a point we hadn't considered. It turns out it is joint tenancy between daughter and 3 others. She didn't know about this girl as we don't live near and its only when she moved in the others have said 'don't tell the estate agents'. Seems she has no choice but to let someone know.

[Lea_HTH]

If she doesn't want to be there and the other woman does, suggest that the other woman takes over her place in the tenancy - that way no one needs to know that she was living there without consent or knowledge of the landlord. If they refuse (obviously the couple are trying to reduce their own outgoings by increasing other people's if they share one quarter of the rent between them (they should all be paying one fifth)), then it is an easy matter for your daughter to inform the landlord that there is an additional person there and she does not want to be held responsible for any damages that person might cause and would therefore like to be released from the tenancy. LL might not be pleased, but better for someone to inform him before there is a problem.

[mariner51]

If full time, employed 'queen bee' agrees to assigned joint lease (unlikely), the property would lose C Tax-free status and rent or outgoings would increase for all. This cuckoo full-time occupant is increasing utility bills and risk of T damage by ~20%.

Rather then queen bee she is on thin ice legally.

I assume your dau cannot vacate T without LL agreement, prob requiring her to find acceptable assigned joint T

I do not know if other Ts are mice or wo/men but worth calling a joint Ts meeting to require tenant with offending g/f to contribute 2 fifths rent, deposit and utility costs does not sound unreasonable. Otherwise make it clear he is no longer welcome as joint T

If any joint T has a gaurantor then the G should be apprised of their increased liability.

[lemonpinklady]

Thanks for all replies - it seems to be a can of worms! We have decided to tell the managing agents and let them sort it out. The girl has brought it on herself and really why should all the other legal tenants be helping her with subsidising her rent. I am going to do the dirty deed as as a guarantor I have a vested interest. I let you know how it goes. Don't like to dob people in but this situation is too tricky. Thanks again. I'll post how it goes.

[kirkbyinfurnesslad]

Don't assume the agent will be helpful

[lemonpinklady]

Hi Everyone, a quick conversation with the letting agent has meant 'queen bee' and her boyfriend are leaving. Council tax was mentioned. Other people are looking at the room so it means a fresh start for all of them in there hopefully a bit more democratically this time. Thanks to all who helped.

[kirkbyinfurnesslad]

Glad u got it sorted