Verbally abusive housemate

galwaybetty

I don't really know where to begin- I should say that I'm a woman and I moved in about a year and a half ago with three guys.I was under pressure to find housing and the rent was cheap. Straight off the bat I noticed that one of the housemates was a bit peculiar- quiet really. He seemed to treat the house as his own filling the house with football memorabilia and watching matches all day every day at weekends and evenings.

Then he left work and was around even more. His girlfriend would be there for days on end and he would often invite friends or family to stay over without consulting anyone. The house was filthy, but he later stuck to a rota and seemed to keep to it. Basically I ignored all of it as I believed it was a short term housing solution.

The problem came when one housemate was moving out. Over a weekend I was gone, he advertised the room and arranged viewings on the Monday and Tuesday. I discovered this on Tuesday evening as I was on my way out the door. A housemate was chosen by him and he moved in.

I was upset and urged to tackle it. So one evening I mentioned that I was suprised I hadn't been given more notice, that the new housemate was lively but next time I would like to be there to meet new housemates. He wasn't happy about it but it was a brief discussion and I felt the air had been cleared.

On the Saturday morning I was in the kitchen in my pjs mad when he came in and right off the bat started ranting at me. I had no right to question him, he was in charge of the house and if I didn't like how he ran it I knew where the door was. He then said I never did any housework and that he wasn't my f##kn babysitter. I took a step back and offered to move out. The verbal abuse continued until he saw me backing away and started smirking.

I should say at this point, I'm quite a small woman, it's not something I'm usually aware of but when he was standing over me clenching and in clenching his fists I'll admit I was terrified.

I left the house in the next hour, gave the landlord my notice and arranged viewings. I had to go back on Monday evening after work. Basically I kill time going on walks till 11 pm before I return to the house.

I called my landlord to explain what happened, asking him for a reference to move out ASAP. He was unsympathetic and gave terse monosyllabic replies. When I said I was too afraid to live there he said that he didn't know what had happened and that unfortunately it didn't work out.

At this point I'm willing to walk out without the deposit or the remainder of the rent which I paid. As soon as I find a place I will. At my wits end here and would appreciate any input people might have.

Thanks

Peregrinus

It's not a pleasant situation. But it boils down fairly simply.

1. Your fundamental issue here is not really a legal one. Your relationship with/view of Bad Guy is such that you don't want to live with him. I can't see any legal process which could possibly change this.

2. It will be much easier to move out yourself than to force, compel or persuade him to move out.

3. So you should look to be getting out. To this end you have already given notice.

4. You minimise the cost to yourself of going by finding a replacement tenant who will take up your space as soon as possible; this will enable you to stop paying rent before your notice period expires. However it seems to have been somehow established that it is Bad Guy's business to vet and approve new tenants. Realistically, you can't bring in anybody who is not acceptable to him.

5. There is no particular reason why he should be obstructive. Presumably, after what has passed, he will be glad if you leave, and he should want to smooth the way for that. Still, from what you say he may not always behave rationally.

6. You also have the ethical dilemma of what to say if a prospective new tenant asks you why you're leaving, or what it's like living in the house, or what the other housemates are like. If you answer any of these questions honestly, a prospective tenant will run screaming.

7. For these reasons your choice, realistically, may be (a) stay in the house while your notice period runs, or (b) move out, and either pay two rents for a while or stay with indulgent friends/family. Not a pleasant set of alternatives, but only you can choose between them.

8. As to your deposit, assuming the house is in good order there's no reason why you shouldn't get it back when you leave. Did you pay it to Bad Guy, or directly to the landlord? Hopefully the latter, because then it's the landlord you approach to get it back.

Qualitymark

I wonder why your other housemate moved out!

I'd be inclined to find a new place. Why should you need a reference from your current landlord, for goodness sake?