How much notice should they give?

gaeilgegrinds1 · 01-09-2010 3:26pm #1

My friend owns her own place. She has rented a room out under the rent-a-room scheme, she was paid every two months as was suggested by the tenant. Now the tenant handed in her notice today and wants out on the 15th...Legalities? I'm so confused but I know she is being fairly shafted here as the verbal agreement was for a year.

amdublin · 01-09-2010 3:29pm

How long has the tenant been with her?

She could just get a new tenant

Dermo · 01-09-2010 3:30pm

gaeilgegrinds1 wrote: »

My friend owns her own place. She has rented a room out under the rent-a-room scheme, she was paid every two months as was suggested by the tenant. Now the tenant handed in her notice today and wants out on the 15th...Legalities? I'm so confused but I know she is being fairly shafted here as the verbal agreement was for a year.

Verbal agreements aren't worth the paper they are written on. Was there any form of lease signed?

Cathmandooo · 01-09-2010 4:01pm

Citizens Information

Basically given there's not even anything in writing there's nothing your friend can do about it.

IMO 2 weeks notice for a rent a room is generous.

D3PO · 01-09-2010 4:07pm

its rent a room its not covered by standard tennancy agreements or legislation. Essentially there is no pre defined notice period they have to give.

the same applies for your friend they wouldnt have to give notice as per the RTA 2004

gaeilgegrinds1 · 01-09-2010 5:58pm

I just suppose she feels hard done by, she was totally taken advantage of, had friend's of tenant staying and was really good to them but I suppose we live and learn. In future should there be an agreement written?

the_syco · 01-09-2010 7:43pm

gaeilgegrinds1 wrote: »

In future should there be an agreement written?

To a degree. You don't want to give the tenant more rights than the owner, but you must find a fair balance. As for rent every two months, that's odd. Next time, do it every month.

amdublin · 01-09-2010 8:20pm

gaeilgegrinds1 wrote: »

she was totally taken advantage of

How was she taken advantage of?

She let friends of tenants stay over? (Big deal)

They have given her notice as is their right.
As a person who is going to be renting a room out in the future (I assume) she needs to get over this and start looking for a new tenant.

gaeilgegrinds1 · 01-09-2010 11:27pm

Ah no she was taken advantage of, there was no rent paid last month for that month or the next as the friends were staying from abroad and she said it was ok to give it when it was available. I think she's too soft, tis just her way. Ah well.

convert · 01-09-2010 11:39pm

Rent should ideally be paid monthly. If, as in the case outlined above, the tenant fails to pay rent on time, three or four months can mount up pretty quickly and the landlord is severely out of pocket.

I think your friend has probably learned a lot from this. Letting a tenant's friend stay over is fine, but having the tenant use this as an excuse for not paying rent is OTT. Moreover, if the friend was staying for more than a week or so, then they really should have been paying rent to your friend, or at the very least contributing towards bills instead of free loading.

A written agreement regarding non-payment of rent, friends staying over, breakages, deposit, notice to quit, etc. is probably a good idea. However, as mentioned previously, you need to make sure that the tenant has more rights than the owner.

amdublin · 01-09-2010 11:47pm

gaeilgegrinds1 wrote: »

Ah no she was taken advantage of, there was no rent paid last month for that month or the next as the friends were staying from abroad and she said it was ok to give it when it was available. I think she's too soft, tis just her way. Ah well.

Yes. Sounds like she certainly allowed herself to be taken advantage of.

Who the hell "rents" out a room but doesn't actually collect rent

Time to move on and get a new tenant and be stricter with herself so that she doesn't let herself get screwed again.

gaeilgegrinds1 · 02-09-2010 10:47pm

Revenge was saught today, place was left in an awful state, she's really upset so cut her losses and asked could tenant move out, some people are so cruel.

magentas · 03-09-2010 11:37am

amdublin wrote: »

Yes. Sounds like she certainly allowed herself to be taken advantage of.

Who the hell "rents" out a room but doesn't actually collect rent

Time to move on and get a new tenant and be stricter with herself so that she doesn't let herself get screwed again.

ALLOWED herself to be taken advantage of???
Let herself get screwed again?
you sound so callous. so landlady is good enough to let tenant have friends stay over and is lenient with rent and generally treats tenant really well and that's how she repays her kindness. Sounds like an absolute using, cold-hearted biotch.

so is she still due rent? leaving the place in a kip could have been tenants way of getting your friend to kick her out and "cut her losses" so she'd get out of paying rent.
did tenant pay deposit?
sounds like she completely abused your friends kindness

How much notice should they give?

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