Renting a room...Ripped off?

punisher5112

Funny thing is, are the bills getting paid at all or under and then others will be hit like yourself op.

Get out of you can...

Tork

Would you mind telling us what you're being charged? If you never lived away from home before this, you probably never looked at an electricity or heating bill in your life. If you don't stand your ground now (or leave) you're going to get slaughtered once the weather gets colder and the heating bills start coming. Oil in particular can vary wildly.

In any house share I lived in, the bills were stuck up on a notice board or the fridge. They were always split evenly and that seems to be fairly standard as far as I can tell. If you go down the road of John works from home, Mary's only here 3 nights a week and Jim never uses the oven it gets very messy indeed.

Personally I'd insist on seeing the bills and get the other tenant on board too. And anxiety or no anxiety, I'd be looking around for somewhere new to live. Life is too short to live with someone who doesn't respect you. I'd be amazed if this person is being honest with you.

On the bills thing, do they come through the letterbox or is it paperless billing? All the providers have downloaded pdfs of the bills on their websites so it shouldn't be a big deal for this person to produce them.

inthenip

Yep, always should get to see bills.

It's always a scummy person that won't show you.

Even a pic to your WhatsApp would suffice.

I'd be withholding rent.

You haven't signed anything, there's no official record of you even being there, and you're getting (you feel) charged over the odds?

I'd just pack up and move home. Wouldn't be bothered putting up with that.

CollyFlower

Don't understand why they're not showing you what you owe... Ask to see the bill before you pay.

Is the billing for everything? Like for electricity, gas, bins?

Graces7

We had this once with a landlord who was insisting the ESB was in HIS name and he would bill us... He was very reluctant to consider us having our own account but as I qualified for the Household package he had no choice.

He did not like when we checked oil usage ….

Always well worth " making a fuss" so the best of luck OP ..and if you face up to them with this you will ensure a hassle free tenancy.

zeebre12

[Deleted User] wrote: »

You haven't signed anything, there's no official record of you even being there, and you're getting (you feel) charged over the odds?

I'd just pack up and move home. Wouldn't be bothered putting up with that.

But if you don't give a months notice you won't get your deposit back.

Def_IRL

OK, so why not just go to your ESB and GAS meters first thing tomorrow morning at note the readings on both.
Track the meter usage for two months or thereabouts (even on a weekly basis to start getting a rough feeling with regards expected average weekly / monthly usage and costs).

Assume for this that the Landlord has both the ESB and the Gas with Electric Ireland - is a on paperless/online billing/ direct debit billing (Value Reward tarrif or similar) and assuming no day/night electric metering.


Lets assume your meters show up the following readings after 60 days of usage: Electricity=278 units used & Gas = 60m3 used

Electricity costs over c.60 days (bi-monthly billing schedule) for say 278 units of used electricity (from meter reading difference) should be approx:

* Unit Usage 278 x 0.1693 = €47.07
* Dual fuel /DD/Online billing discount = (€ 4.00) approx
* Standing charge 60 days x €0.4037 /day = € 24.44
* PSO levy 2 months = € 5.68
TOTAL (EX-VAT) = €73.19
plus VAT 13.5% of €73.19 = € 9.88
TOTAL ESB INC VAT = €83.07

GAS costs (again over 60 days) assuming bi-monthly schedule - for say 60m3 of gas used:
--- 60m3 x conversion factor 11.1997 = 671.98 kWh - rounded =672KWh

* Unit Usage 672kWh x 0.04750 (unit price) = €31.92
* Dual fuel /DD/Online billing discount = (€0.50) (guessed)
* Standing charge 60 days x €0.2487/day = €14.99
* Carbon Tax €0.004471 for 672kWh = € 3.00
TOTAL (EX-VAT) = €49.41
plus VAT 13.5% of €49.41 =€ 6.67
TOTAL GAS INC VAT = €56.08


I assume you might also have some shared domestic Bin bills to consider in this house sharing scenario too?


PSO Levy Rate (effective as of 1st October 2019)
The current PSO levy is €2.84 excl. VAT per month which equates to €34.08 excl. VAT (12 x €2.84) or €38.68 per year inclusive of VAT.
You will see the PSO Levy on your typical two-monthly bill as €5.68 (€2.84 x 2) + 13.5% VAT.

Carbon Tax
From 1st May 2020, the tax for natural gas is €26 per tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted. All gas suppliers must apply the carbon tax to customer’s bills.
You’ll see the carbon tax rate on your bill as 0.471 cent/kWh. This is subject to a VAT rate of 13.5%.

circular flexing

I would say there's more than a good chance the bills are not being paid at all. Don't pay any more money to the tenant until you see a bill.

handlemaster

has the OP said how much they are actually paying.. it could be 5 euro per month.hard to judge without actual figures. Green horns can be very surprised how much things cost once they leave the nest.

mcgragger

OP you are asking for advice but not giving much details back?

Stop paying the Bills until you see that they are being split evenly.

You are either being taken for a fool or there is nothing to hide and asking to see the Bill's is a perfectly reasonable question and you dont need anyone else to back you up.


From the limited information you've posted it sounds like they are making a fool of you.

amadangomor

bluelamp wrote: »

That's just life in a house share.

Some people will be in the house more, some less.

Any house share I've been in, bills are split equally, and of story.

Not end of story as the story has changed with Covid.

People were not home all day in any of my house shares so consumption was fairly equal so equal split.

With people using houses as a workplace and all the cost associated with that there will be very unequal levels of consumption.

zeebre12

amadangomor wrote: »

Not end of story as the story has changed with Covid.

People were not home all day in any of my house shares so consumption was fairly equal so equal split.

With people using houses as a workplace and all the cost associated with that there will be very unequal levels of consumption.

I recently moved into a house share sharing with two others. Due to Covid they are not working and lie about in the house all day everyday. I'm just there in the evenings 4 nights a week as I go home at the weekends and don't arrive back to the house until Monday evening. What can I really say to this?

BrokenArrows

zeebre12 wrote: »

I recently moved into a house share sharing with two others. Due to Covid they are not working and lie about in the house all day everyday. I'm just there in the evenings 4 nights a week as I go home at the weekends and don't arrive back to the house until Monday evening. What can I really say to this?

Nothing.
House shares have things split evenly regardless of usage.
Otherwise you will have people trying to say they only spent X amount of time in the house so shouldn't pay.

The plus side to a house share is that you are free to leave if you don't like the conditions of living there.

Samuel T. Cogley

zeebre12 wrote: »

What can I really say to this?

Bye, Bye?

Thargor

What should the average tenant in a 4-5 person houseshare be paying in bills per month these days do people know? Gas/Electric/Internet/Sky tv (non sports/movies)

BorneTobyWilde

All the experts on here who house share never said what they pay per month. .....

zeebre12

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Nothing.
House shares have things split evenly regardless of usage.
Otherwise you will have people trying to say they only spent X amount of time in the house so shouldn't pay.

The plus side to a house share is that you are free to leave if you don't like the conditions of living there.

Don't you have to give nearly a months notice to get your deposit back?

zeebre12

The 'head' tenant that I was paying rent to seems to have fled the scene (with my deposit). I had not seen him in over a week after arriving back home after the weekend today to the house the other person I am sharing electricity with said landlord has been trying to contact 'head' tenant but can't reach him. I went up to his room and his room is cleared so seems like he is gone for good? I tried ringing him but no answer. I half suspected something was a bit fishy as the bins he said he was paying for never went (piled up) and he said heating is broken so hasn't really been turned on since I moved in. Where do I stand now? The landlord wants me to give him a ring.

Ronin247

zeebre12 wrote: »

The 'head' tenant that I was paying rent to seems to have fled the scene (with my deposit). I had not seen him in over a week after arriving back home after the weekend today to the house the other person I am sharing electricity with said landlord has been trying to contact 'head' tenant but can't reach him. I went up to his room and his room is cleared so seems like he is gone for good? I tried ringing him but no answer. I half suspected something was a bit fishy as the bins he said he was paying for never went (piled up) and he said heating is broken so hasn't really been turned on since I moved in. Where do I stand now? The landlord wants me to give him a ring.

When you say "Head Tenant" is he /she the one with the lease?
Phone the Landlord and tell him it looks like the Head Tenant has left with HIS (landlords) deposit. Explain that you have paid bills for bins and heating and have received neither service. If the landlord was the one who put the Head Tenant in charge then it is the Landlords problem.
I would talk nice but firmly, if the landlord is decent (99% are) they will try to sort this out amicably but you should not be out of pocket.

zeebre12

Was just talking to landlord and he said lad who I am renting room off was renting house off him and then subletting rooms (is this normal for a landlord to let someone who is leasing a house do?). (The lad said he was almost like the 'head tenant', more lies i suppose)
He said lad who was renting house off him can't be contacted and he owes him lots of money. She landlord says he owes him for September and kept giving him excuses why he wasn't able to pay it and now he has fled. Landlord said to me my deposit has nothing got to do with him and wants me out pronto so he can rent the full house. Now I have to search for somewhere else and pay for this weeks rent. I had an inkling when I moved in in September there was something strange going on with the way bills were split.

Thargor

zeebre12 wrote: »

Was just talking to landlord and he said lad who I am renting room off was renting house off him and then subletting rooms (is this normal for a landlord to let someone who is leasing a house do?). (The lad said he was almost like the 'head tenant', more lies i suppose)
He said lad who was renting house off him can't be contacted and he owes him lots of money. She landlord says he owes him for September and kept giving him excuses why he wasn't able to pay it and now he has fled. Landlord said to me my deposit has nothing got to do with him and wants me out pronto so he can rent the full house. Now I have to search for somewhere else and pay for this weeks rent. I had an inkling when I moved in in September there was something strange going on with the way bills were split.

You don't have to be out of anywhere pronto, you have rights and with covid you're well protected.

Thargor

Thargor wrote: »

You don't have to be out of anywhere pronto, you have rights and with covid you're well protected.

Has zero rights.

Why would the landlord have to honour an agreement they never entered into and in all likelihood appears to have been in breach of the original tenancy agreement?

You are trying to blame the landlord for a situation they had no part in creating.

ted1

Thargor wrote: »

You don't have to be out of anywhere pronto, you have rights and with covid you're well protected.

No he doesn’t he is a licencee not as tenant

Mrs OBumble

ted1 wrote: »

No he doesn’t he is a licencee not as tenant

Exactly, the OP is lucky that the LL has not called the guards to get the squatters ( cos that what they look like to the LL) removed.

pc7

I wouldn't pay this weeks rent, why would you if your agreement was with the other person and not the landlord. If the landlord is treating you as a licensee you are the licensee of the person who did a runner surely? (Not advocating rule breaking, but if landlord is saying get out with no notice they cannot expect payment)

JoChervil

In my lease agreement I had agreed that I can take two tenants in. So if it was agreed with a landlord, so he has rights then, but had no proof of it. I wouldn't pay one week rent, if they don't give you a proper notice. Why should you be the only person playing by the rules?

ted1

JoChervil wrote: »

In my lease agreement I had agreed that I can take two tenants in. So if it was agreed with a landlord, so he has rights then, but had no proof of it. I wouldn't pay one week rent, if they don't give you a proper notice. Why should you be the only person playing by the rules?

Anybody you took in with be licencees if yours snd not tenants of the landlord

Browney7

zeebre12 wrote: »

Was just talking to landlord and he said lad who I am renting room off was renting house off him and then subletting rooms (is this normal for a landlord to let someone who is leasing a house do?). (The lad said he was almost like the 'head tenant', more lies i suppose)
He said lad who was renting house off him can't be contacted and he owes him lots of money. She landlord says he owes him for September and kept giving him excuses why he wasn't able to pay it and now he has fled. Landlord said to me my deposit has nothing got to do with him and wants me out pronto so he can rent the full house. Now I have to search for somewhere else and pay for this weeks rent. I had an inkling when I moved in in September there was something strange going on with the way bills were split.

Who advertised the room in the first place and who was your contact with originally?

I'm assuming from your posts the LL has nothing to do with this and the previous "head tenant" rented the place off the LL on their own and sublet rooms? In this case your remedy is realistically small claims court against the original head tenant (and possibly guards for fraud/deception)

Or is the arrangement one where the LL advertised the rooms but told you to pay money to the head tenant to pay them?

zeebre12

Browney7 wrote: »

Who advertised the room in the first place and who was your contact with originally?

I'm assuming from your posts the LL has nothing to do with this and the previous "head tenant" rented the place off the LL on their own and sublet rooms? In this case your remedy is realistically small claims court against the original head tenant (and possibly guards for fraud/deception)

Or is the arrangement one where the LL advertised the rooms but told you to pay money to the head tenant to pay them?

The 'head tenant' advertised the room. I took a room. He sublet the rooms. The landlord knew that he was as the 'head tenant' and the other person I am sharing with have been in the house for the past year.