Help - housemate problem

msminni

Dear all
I need some advice. I have a very unhelpful housemate who is neglectful around the house (leaving me with the job to try and maintain a liveable situation), who never takes care of things like trash and has even tried to tell me what I can and cannot do/use in the house before. He also has a temper and when I have to remind him of cleaning I get a defensive rant. It has come to the point now where he's not paying the full amount of the bills, which are in my name, on the grounds that he reckons I owe him money (which I don't!). So basically not only do I have to put up with him but i'm also losing out on money.
I have had it with all this and want to move out ASAP but our lease is not up for 3 more months. Any advice on how to go about this? I don't know what to do anymore. Will I just have to cut my losses and pay off the landlord for the remainder of the lease?

msminni

msminni wrote: »

Dear all
I need some advice. I have a very unhelpful housemate who is neglectful around the house (leaving me with the job to try and maintain a liveable situation), who never takes care of things like trash and has even tried to tell me what I can and cannot do/use in the house before. He also has a temper and when I have to remind him of cleaning I get a defensive rant. It has come to the point now where he's not paying the full amount of the bills, which are in my name, on the grounds that he reckons I owe him money (which I don't!). So basically not only do I have to put up with him but i'm also losing out on money.
I have had it with all this and want to move out ASAP but our lease is not up for 3 more months. Any advice on how to go about this? I don't know what to do anymore. Will I just have to cut my losses and pay off the landlord for the remainder of the lease?

Does anyone have any advice? I've been reading up a bit and was wondering whether I could claim anti-social behaviour against my house mate and send a formal complaint to the landlord? I don't think it's necessary to make it a legal thing, but I just want to move out instead of being unhappy in my own house. What are my rights here?

athtrasna

Who signed the lease? If your name is not on the lease then there's a chance you can move out sooner.

The_Morrigan

and if the other person is not on the lease, then you may ask them to leave....

If it is a joint lease then ring the landlord and explain the situation, calmly.
I had an incident a few years back where I was the only name on the lease, but I needed the landlord to step in to help me get rid of unwanted housemates. It was in the landlords interests to get involved as he had to protect his asset.

Do you really want to leave the place? I mean would you renew the lease if the other person wasn't causing trouble?

msminni

we both signed the one lease and i believe the landlord is reluctant to let me go if he doesn't also move out. Hence I feel stuck, if not trapped.
I'm not sure the landlord will let me out unless I find someone else, which would be very hard it seems to me.:(
I do want to move out yes. For various reasons. I just want a (cheaper) place for myself.

The_Morrigan

you say you believe the landlord is reluctant - have you actually spoken to them?

msminni

yes, i have talked to him previously about moving out, and he wasn't interested in letting me go as 'he can't rent out the house with someone still in it'. I've also informed him about the money problem with the bills but he did not want to take them over as he's afraid he'd lose out on money himself then and just told me he doesn't envy my situation. This is clearly not helping me. I dont want to be responsible for the bills either if my housemate is not paying so I'm inclined to just ring ESB and transfer the bill to the landlord.
That still doesn't solve the moving out problem, though. And the landlord doesn't sound like he's interested in intervening between us either.

The_Morrigan

Course he isn't.
Does your lease state that you can give notice to leave in the middle of the term or is it a fixed term lease?

msminni

fixed lease i'm afraid. I've nearly four more months to go so if i were to give him notice now and move out next month i'd be liable for about 3 months rent.... I know people tell me landlords hardly ever go after tenants who leave early, but in this case he'd be left with a house he cant re-let, so I don't think he'll just let me go either. Any suggestions as to what i could possibly do other than buy him off?

The_Morrigan

Is the other tenant in any way breaching the terms of the lease?
The landlord could kill two birds with one stone, if you want to leave and he has reasonable grounds to ask the other tenant to leave based on breach of contract.

msminni

Ive been thinking of that, but i'm not sure my housemate's behaviour would be enough to ask for a termination of the lease due to anti-social behaviour. I mean, other than that he now owes me money and hardly does his share of the cleaning, there have been a few incidents where he screamed at me and threatened not to allow my boyfriend into the house or not to allow me to use things that came with the house (i.e. not his property). In general I feel very upset by all of this. I don't think he has the right to tell me what to do in my "own" house after all. And it's also not fair that i'm the only one really looking after the house, though there's nothing that I can do about that of course.

The_Morrigan

Right speak to the landlord again, and ask him would he consider terminating the lease early as you are no longer comfortable living in the house and you feel bullied by the other occupant.
The only other option, if s/he is unwilling, is to remove yourself from being responsible for making the house liveable. Keep your own space spotless and clean up after yourself only. Make the landlord aware that you are not going to be responsible for the actions of the other housemate and that you do not want to be financially responsible for it either as you are already at a loss due to bills etc. Get the landlord to put the bills in their own name!!

Is there any chance you could shack up with the bf for a few months maybe?

msminni

yes very tempted to do that indeed - except that i'd still have the problem of having to pay rent at the current house til the end of the lease or buy him off :S
i suppose my only option is to talk to him and if he doesn't see my way, to sacrifice the money and get out.

The_Morrigan

Well if you shack up with the bf & pay the rent for the next few months, you are not responsible for the bills if you are not there.
but I would move all your stuff out if you can.

Talk to the bf first ,see if its possible, then tell the landlord this is your only option, but you'll be willing to pay him the rent till the lease is expired.
He can't ask any more of you.

msminni

thats true, can i ask him to use the deposit towards what i owe him as well?
He's not a bad landlord or anything so I don't want to give him a bad deal either. On the other hand it's p-ing me off that this housemate is gonna cost me a whole lotta money to get rid off!

The_Morrigan

No harm in asking - he won't lose anything out in regards to the rent, and you can always let him come view the property the day you leave in case the other tenant goes a bit mental when you're gone!!