Help: Housemate from Hell

suzie987

I am at my wit's end with a housemate. I live in a 5 bed house with three others. A guy who moved in at the start of the year is just so hard to live with. He is dirty, loud, selfish, aggressive and worse than anything - just plain scary. One day in the kitchen I was sick of his lack of cleanliness, it was just plain dangerous (especially considering he has given himself food poisoning since he moved) so I mentioned one thing politely to him. He became very loud and aggressive, and stood right in front of my face in a threatening way. I was really shaken at the experience. The 2 other girls I live with have also experienced similar.

One night emotions ran high and we ended up telling him we found him hard to live with, that he was very aggressive and no one could say anything to him. However, that really didn't help anything. At the moment the situation is that he has the run of the house - we don't want to be around him and so are staying in our rooms. He has the sitting room to himself and sits there all day long while we are cooped up in our rooms.

He is a rude, aggressive bully - but what is the solution? He knows we don't like him and that he is hard to live with - but he doesn't care, he won't move out. Why should all 3 of us have to move out of a house that we love and have lived in for years? Any ideas?

Ickle Magoo

Could the three of you collectively have a word with the land-lord? I'm sure they'd rather be looking for one new tenant than three...

herisson

i agree with Ickle Magoo

have a word with your landlord explain the situation and see if there is anything they can do

you and the other girls should not have to move out because of him it is unfair
you three have been living there first and he is making you scared in your own home

my cousin had a problem with her housemate before and she had a word with the landlord and had it sorted the housemate in question was given a warning that if she persists with her behavior that she would have to move out
since then everything has been fine but if she steps out of line again she is gone

OP its worth talking to the Landlord about this! Good luck!

suzie987

Ickle Magoo wrote: »

Could the three of you collectively have a word with the land-lord? I'm sure they'd rather be looking for one new tenant than three...

Well unfortunately the landlord doesn't really care who is in the house once he gets rent money. If someone moves out, they find a new tenant for their room - that's it the landlord doesn't care who is there once he gets his money at the start of the month!

If he was not such a distant landlord I wouldn't have a problem telling him all three of us are having difficulties with a new housemate, but I have only met him once!

Gillo

If there's three of you, you could tell the landlord that yoou've collectively found somewhere else to live because if this guys behaviour. Point out to the landlord that the state this guy is leaving the place in it'll be hard to find a new tenant, yet alone three.
Finish off with the fact that you don't actually want to move but feel you have no other choice.

SunnyDub1

Is he a friend or just a "house mate" cause if he's a Friend he doesn't sound like a very good one - stay away.

This might bit a bit extreme but why don't yous look for a different house that you and the other girls can move into without him. Loads of houses/apartments been let at the moment.


Your right - landlords generally don't give a crap once they are getting their money.

You might have signed a lease with the landlord but if he's not willing to do something about the aggressive, dirty, unhygienic man your living with , yous have no choice but to move out. If he has a problem with this, get the Guards involved.

Cause to be honest it sounds like yous are under threat in the house, and that's not fair and if the man is a danger towards yous I wouldn't say the guards will have a problem with helping yous out.

Good luck

suzie987

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

Is he a friend or just a "house mate" cause if he's a Friend he doesn't sound like a very good one - stay away.

This might bit a bit extreme but why don't yous look for a different house that you and the other girls can move into without him. Loads of houses/apartments been let at the moment.


Your right - landlords generally don't give a crap once they are getting their money.

You might have signed a lease with the landlord but if he's not willing to do something about the aggressive, dirty, unhygienic man your living with , yous have no choice but to move out. If he has a problem with this, get the Guards involved.

Cause to be honest it sounds like yous are under threat in the house, and that's not fair and if the man is a danger towards yous I wouldn't say the guards will have a problem with helping yous out.

Good luck

No he is DEFINITELY NOT a friend! I would go as far as to say I hate the guy at this stage! He was just a stranger who moved into the house. He seemed lovely on the viewing. Little did we know . . . .

At the moment I am looking up other places, but even if I do end up moving out I am definitely not going without contacting the landlord and telling him there is a farm animal living in his house.

The landlord is so absent we don't even have leases!

Gillo

Actually I'm just thinking does a landlord have an obligation to provide a safe place if residence? It'd probably be some amount of hassle pushing that with the landlord although if you decided to move out it could be a handy argument if he / she gives out that you have a lease, at least you can point out that they have in effect broken it.

Either way hope it works out, we've a new guy since march and while not as bad as your situation he's getting pretty annoying.

SunnyDub1

suzie987 wrote: »

No he is DEFINITELY NOT a friend! I would go as far as to say I hate the guy at this stage! He was just a stranger who moved into the house. He seemed lovely on the viewing. Little did we know . . . .

At the moment I am looking up other places, but even if I do end up moving out I am definitely not going without contacting the landlord and telling him there is a farm animal living in his house.

The landlord is so absent we don't even have leases!

If yous didn't sign a lease - GREAT. All the more reason for yous to just get up, leave, and get yourselves a nice clean house where the landlord communicates

legally if you wanted you could get up and leave now.

convert

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

If yous didn't sign a lease - GREAT. All the more reason for yous to just get up, leave, and get yourselves a nice clean house where the landlord communicates

legally if you wanted you could get up and leave now.

Even though you don't have a lease, you can't just up and leave. If you've been there for more than 6 months you're covered by a Part 4 Tenancy which means you have to give specified notice before you move out so you can get your deposit back (a minimum of 28 days and increasing depending on how long you've been living there). There's more information about this on the Threshold and Citizens' Information websites.

It's awful that you feel so threatened in your own home - that shouldn't be the case. Definitely contact your landlord NOW and tell them what's going on and see what they have to say about the matter. Depending on their reaction, you can then decide what you're going to do.

SunnyDub1

convert wrote: »

Even though you don't have a lease, you can't just up and leave. If you've been there for more than 6 months you're covered by a Part 4 Tenancy which means you have to give specified notice before you move out so you can get your deposit back (a minimum of 28 days and increasing depending on how long you've been living there). There's more information about this on the Threshold and Citizens' Information websites.

Wasn't aware of this - my bad.

But under the circumstances and if the landlord is not been helpful at all. I think it's ridiculous having to live in that for another 28 days. I'd just get up and go wouldn't be able to live with that.

But yeah you should really just speak to the landlord and see what the outcome is.

suzie987

convert wrote: »

Even though you don't have a lease, you can't just up and leave. If you've been there for more than 6 months you're covered by a Part 4 Tenancy which means you have to give specified notice before you move out so you can get your deposit back (a minimum of 28 days and increasing depending on how long you've been living there). There's more information about this on the Threshold and Citizens' Information websites.

It's awful that you feel so threatened in your own home - that shouldn't be the case. Definitely contact your landlord NOW and tell them what's going on and see what they have to say about the matter. Depending on their reaction, you can then decide what you're going to do.

I was on the Threshold website so I'll look into it a bit more.

Actually, I never gave a deposit to the landlord. When I moved in I gave my deposit to the girl who used to be in my room. She decided to move out, so it was her responsibility to fill the room. I took the room. If I decide to move out, it is my responsibility to fill the room, and then when I do I will take a deposit from the new person and that then represents my deposit which I gave when I moved in.

The landlord really has it set up in such a way that he has very little to do with the house (that said he is good in terms of maintenance, cutting lawns etc). However, I think at this stage I am going to contact him and tell him I am thinking of moving out, and that I will replace the room, however, the problem is with the new guy and that the others are also considering moving out as the situation has become unbearable.

I really don't think there is much he will do in terms of the problem guy, considering he doesn't mind who moves in or out! I'm sure he will discover himself in time how his house is being kept.

LegacyUser

For the sake of a month's deposit, move. You don't need this cr4p in your life.

Semele

He sounds exactly like a guy my friend and I had the misfortune of moving in with a few years ago. We rang the landlord to say that we wanted to break our lease and explained that we loved the house and would happily stay, but that guy was just too aggressive and overbearing to live with. He stopped me and said that he'd rather lose one tenant who was putting others off than two who would otherwise stay, and got rid of him. I know you said your landlord isn't that involved, but surely if you emphasised that any future tenants would be likely to have an issue with this guy too then he might prefer to keep the 3 of you, who are long-term tenants. You might as well give him the chance to do something first.

We were so scared of out guy that the landlord didn't tell him why he wanted him out, just lied and said he was going to rent the room to a relative of his!

Gillo

bananaRep12 wrote: »

For the sake of a month's deposit, move. You don't need this cr4p in your life.

Or better still (and you shouldn't do it) don't pay the last months rent, the landlord can take it from the rent.

suzie987

Thanks to all for the advice. I am going to try contact the landlord and see what good he can do. I would be surprised if he will go as far as to evict him but you never know.

He sounds exactly like a guy my friend and I had the misfortune of moving in with a few years ago. We rang the landlord to say that we wanted to break our lease and explained that we loved the house and would happily stay, but that guy was just too aggressive and overbearing to live with. He stopped me and said that he'd rather lose one tenant who was putting others off than two who would otherwise stay, and got rid of him. I know you said your landlord isn't that involved, but surely if you emphasised that any future tenants would be likely to have an issue with this guy too then he might prefer to keep the 3 of you, who are long-term tenants. You might as well give him the chance to do something first.

We were so scared of out guy that the landlord didn't tell him why he wanted him out, just lied and said he was going to rent the room to a relative of his!

You make a great point that when I do contact the landlord that I will also tell him that the 2 others girls are also going to move out, and that future housemates of this guys will soon follow suit.

He is a horrible person and if the landlord cannot help me I hope to be gone by the end of the month. Unfortunetely, I cannot afford to leave without my deposit so I will have to find a replacement for my room before I move. I pity anyone who has to live with this guy, but I am being selfish and thinking of myself! There is a reason he has only moved out of home in his mid thirties - only a mother could love him or even like him for that matter.

I will update when I have news!

LegacyUser

I would, again, advise you to move without your deposit. How can you "sell" your place in this house to some poor unsuspecting tenant? Why would you inflict this man on someone else?

If you cannot do it, insist on him leaving, either voluntarily or via the landlord evicting him.

Faith

I was unfortunately in a similar situation to you. I moved into a house share last summer with a girl who'd also only just moved in (both mid-twenties) and a guy who'd lived there for several years, who was in his late 40's. The guy was unemployed, a massive stoner, and never ever left the house. He seemed completely harmless though, but as time went on, he started to go crazy. He got very aggressive with my female housemate over her boyfriend staying over, and the whole situation started to spiral, with me being dragged into it. We both complained to the landlord about him, but the landlord refused to get involved, telling us to "sort it out like adults". It came to a head one night in October when the guy came home at 3am off his head on something, shouting and swearing and throwing stuff around. We could hear him talking to himself about us, and we genuinely thought he was going to set fire to the house.

As much as we loved the actual house, we just upped and left the next morning. We handed in our notice with immediate effect to our landlord and found a new place. The landlord finally realised that this guy was a nutjob (turned out people had been telling him this for ages, but all he cared about was getting his rent) and evicted him. The guy refused to leave, eventually squatting in the house and having to be removed by the police.

We found a new place and moved in together. It's not as nice or as comfortable as our old house, but it's SO worth it for the pleasure of living in a comfortable environment. I'd definitely get on to your landlord, but be prepared for him to brush it off. Bear in mind, if the guy is particularly aggressive, he's not going to appreciate being kicked out, if that's what happens. At the very least, change the locks. Our landlord begged us to stay in the end, but we were too frightened of the crazy guy knowing where we lived. Overall, you might be better off just getting a new place for the peace of mind.

Cunning Stunt

I would move OP, especially if that guy is such a nutjob - If I had him thrown out, I would be constantly looking over my shoulder

squonk

Op, you don't have a lease and you'll only lose your deposit. I don't know really how this stuff with passing on the tenancy works but it sounds fairly dodgy but it's grand from the point of view of student accomodation.

At the end of the day, from a landlord's perspective, if a tennant want's to move, then then most they lose is their deposit. If I walk out of my apartment tomorrow morning I only owe the landlord my deposit which I couldn't expect to get back leaving at such short notice. From the landlord's perspective they have the hassle of finding new tennants, which is what the deposit covers.

So, do talk to the landlord and see what happens. If things don't improve within a week, then just up and go. The deposit is the most you lose and that's the end of it.

A lease, even where one exists, isn't really worth a lot.

Just go if you can find somewhere else.

pencilsharp

Ickle Magoo wrote: »

Could the three of you collectively have a word with the land-lord? I'm sure they'd rather be looking for one new tenant than three...

Would you not approach your landlord and explain the situation, tell him hes becoming unbearable to live it, I'm sure the landlord would sort him out. I reckon he'd rather hold on to the four of you than lose one of you.

stupidusername

Ring your landlord and explain. don't mention about you considering moving out. he is the problem and you and the other girls have no problems between you, so it makes sense to have him out. You can have him leave with 7 days notice for anti social behaviour. If the landlord says he wants nothing to do with it, or you can't get through to him, then you three give him notice to move out within 7 days. and tell him if he's not gone by then you'll have the Gardaí remove him.

place an ad in the mean time.

suzie987

I have a bit of an update. Talking with the two other girls I live with we are going to sit down in front of him and tell him we want him to move out ASAP (whenever he next comes home and we are all there). However, if he says no we are going straight to the landlord. We are going to tell the landlord that we feel intimidated and uncomfortable in the home because of this guy, we have asked him to move but he has refused - can you help us. At which point I am hoping the landlord will evict him.

Now in terms of leases and whatnot; when the two girls I live with moved into this house, they moved in with 2 other friends and were the original tenants (I moved in at a later stage). The four of them signed leases, got a new rent book, paid deposits, etc to the landlord. Since then, over the years, two girls moved out. When this happened, they informed the landlord that they wanted to move out, he told them no problem, find a new tenant and get their deposit, and then you keep that deposit as yours. He also was not bothered with the new tenant signing leases.

Now, last night I heard that when this guy moved in he insisted on signing a lease with the landlord, which is fair enough. My question is this: I have never signed a lease, he has, is their anyway that his lease can protect him?

skooterblue2

suzie987 wrote: »

At which point I am hoping the landlord will evict him.

Now in terms of leases and whatnot;

he has, is their anyway that his lease can protect him?

Read the leases again. There may be an Anti-Social behaviour clause in the lease. This would allow the land lord to remove him. I would simply just move out . Allow the landlord to deal with it. The landlord conducted interview? checked backgrounds its his responsibility.