Sign Apt Lease...Then Find Flatmate...Risky?

James.St.James

Hello people...

I would like to get myself an apartment sorted in 8 weeks or so.

BUT, in order to get the type of place I like AND be able to live with someone sound (without messing about on the team-up database)...I thought the best thing to do would be commit to the lease myself then advertise.

I'm thinking i'd get somebody within a week or so and could even have initial viewings organised prior to even getting the keys.

Anyone any experience with this type of thing?

Obviously I want to minimize financial outlay to a pro-rata week or two on behalf of newly found tenant...

djimi

The risk is that you will be left paying the full rent by yourself for the duration of the lease.

Just be sure to make your intentions clear to the landlord in advance; you most likely will not be allowed to sublet, and if you want to add someone to the lease then the landlord is going to want to know who they are.

James.St.James

Oh big time yeah....I'll let the rental company know everything prior...if thats ok with them (again input on this is welcome)

But i'm thinking it'll be pretty easy to get the room sorted if its in a good location...

Just wondering if anyone has experience with this situation!

Chris_5339762

I'd imagine this won't wash with a lot of people... its too easy to rent places thesedays so anything other than what the landlord wants to do will probably be scoffed at. Worth a try of course though.

James.St.James

What wont wash...?

Its actually hard to get the perfect flatmate AND apt combo...thats why i'm thinking of doing this.

The idea is NOT for profit or anything like that as mentioned above.

Its merely for control of the situation. BUT in order to do that you need to put yourself out financially.

Mrs OBumble

I would always do it this way, if at all possible.

So I have the lease, and the financial responsibility. But I have 100% control over flatmates, and can kick out an unsuitable flatmate at a moments notice (only did it once in nearly 20 years of living with flatmates).

The benefits outweigh the risks in my mind.

odds_on

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I would always do it this way, if at all possible.

So I have the lease, and the financial responsibility. But I have 100% control over flatmates, and can kick out an unsuitable flatmate at a moments notice (only did it once in nearly 20 years of living with flatmates).

The benefits outweigh the risks in my mind.

You forgot to mention that the person coming in would be a licensee / lodger and not a tenant, in order to do that.

However, from a landlord's point of view, he may not like licensees in the property as he has more direct control over a tenant. Again if the OP fails to pay the rent, for whatever reason, the landlord cannot look for the rent from the licensee whereas, he could if it was a tenant.

odds_on

djimi wrote: »

The risk is that you will be left paying the full rent by yourself for the duration of the lease.

Just be sure to make your intentions clear to the landlord in advance; you most likely will not be allowed to sublet, and if you want to add someone to the lease then the landlord is going to want to know who they are.

He couldn't be subletting if he was living in the property - the person coming in must either be a co-tenant or a licensee.

djimi

odds_on wrote: »

He couldn't be subletting if he was living in the property - the person coming in must either be a co-tenant or a licensee.

Licensee then; whatever the term is, the landlord most likely will not like the idea of someone living there whos name is not on the lease and who they have had no say in choosing.

Where does it say that you cant sublet part of a property that you will remain living in btw?

jimmycrackcorm

Id have thought it would be easier to look to share in an existing apartment with a tenant already. What would the difference be other than two birds one stone type of thing?

RATM

I used to rent a 2 bed apartment this way a few years back. The lease didn't begin that way- me and another lad signed the first lease but he left after a year and I signed the second lease on my own with the consent of the landlord to sub-let, he was fine about it so long as his rent got paid on time every month, which it did.

I had no problems sorting out a tenant for the other room, the rule always was that they could move out anytime with a months notice and provided they covered the costs of re-advertising the room. I'd then select another flatmate from those who showed up and used their deposit to pay off the departing tenants deposit.

It worked very well for me for four years till I moved elsewhere. I never once had any problems with flatmates which I put down to being able to select people I had a fair idea I would get on well with. Living with other people who you really get on with and can have a laugh with really does make sharing an easy task.

OP some landlords will go for it, others won't. You'll just have to ask at viewings. Having good work references would help a lot, showing the landlord that you are trustworthy is important

odds_on

djimi wrote: »

Licensee then; whatever the term is, the landlord most likely will not like the idea of someone living there whos name is not on the lease and who they have had no say in choosing.

Where does it say that you cant sublet part of a property that you will remain living in btw?

It is an impossibility.

A tenant has exclusive use of a property. Therefore, a sub tenant who sublets from a tenant (who becomes the sub-tenants landlord) cannot have exclusive use if the tenant (sub tenant's landlord) remains in the property. The tenant (sub-tenant's landlord must vacate in order for the sub-tenant to have exclusive use.

djimi

odds_on wrote: »

It is an impossibility.

A tenant has exclusive use of a property. Therefore, a sub tenant who sublets from a tenant (who becomes the sub-tenants landlord) cannot have exclusive use if the tenant (sub tenant's landlord) remains in the property. The tenant (sub-tenant's landlord must vacate in order for the sub-tenant to have exclusive use.

Nowhere in my post did I use the word tenant.

pawrick

Been in similar situations but always got the person added to the lease - worked out easier that way. I'd do the interviewing in each case and cover the rent until I would find the right person. Tell the landlord what you plan as it will save you trouble in the long run.

Mrs OBumble

pawrick wrote: »

Been in similar situations but always got the person added to the lease - worked out easier that way.

The problem that I see if what if their name is on the lease, we are jointly liable fior the entire rent.

So if they stop paying, we are jointly liable to get kicked out. If they do a runner owing rent, I could be liable for the unpaid amount. But I have no way of definitively knowing if they have paid or not, and no control over the situation.

There is also the issues that they could claim we were living as a couple and be subject to defacto relationship status ... a whole 'nother can of potential worms there, that legislation in this country has only recently made possible.

I've only once met a potential landlord who had a problem with my guaranteeing to pay the entire rent and to choose appropriate flatmates - and I pretty quickly worked out that he wasn't the sort of landlord whose property I wanted to live in.