Our 17 year old uni student evicted from digs

christopherb · 11-12-2014 05:53PM #1

HI all,

We've a 17 year old son who's currently in year 1 at WIT, he's in college halls of residence (well it's a house with about 10 rooms across from the campus, I don't know the full details but apparently he didn't pay the rent (official story I've got is that, his rent for october was stolen, and the rent for November he had to live on, as he'd had Octobers rent stolen, I was under the impression that rent wasn't for living on; but hey ho......More likely he's pissed the money away like a pratt!).

He told us that, 'Last Friday a workman from the uni knocked on the door and told him he had to get out of the room and subsequently changed the lock to the room.' So for the last few days he's been sleeping in the room of a uni friend, with all his possessions locked in his old room. They won't give him access to even get a change of clothes.

Yes I know he's an idiot! But is what they have done even legal?

I'm going nuts here for all intense and purposes I've a 17 year old son, who a day ago I thought was doing ok at uni, whose actually essentially bloody homeless!

Stheno · 11-12-2014 05:55PM

If he's in a house that the owner is in, he's a licencee and has very little rights, not like leasing a flat/house.

edeldonlon · 11-12-2014 05:59PM

Why don't you ring up the accommodation office and find out what is actually going on. He is 17 years of age and he may like to tell some white lies

The number is +353 (0) 51 302615

I'm sure he must be finished next week for christmas, he might be able to stay at friends until then and find somewhere new for after christmas. Also have a look at the contract that he/you signed and see what it says.

christopherb · 11-12-2014 05:59PM

Stheno wrote: »

If he's in a house that the owner is in, he's a licencee and has very little rights, not like leasing a flat/house.

No it's a digs organised by the college, through their student accommodation services, I think the uni own the house, not a private landlord. But either way I thought there would be certain protocol that would be need to be followed before they can just lock the door on kids and say sod off, and we're not giving you your stuff back until you pay up.

looksee · 11-12-2014 06:04PM

He is under 18, you are entitled to ask questions and they have a bit more responsibility towards him (duty of care) than if he were over 18. At the same time you will probably find you will have to be responsible for paying for his accommodation as he is under age. One way or another the bank of mum and dad will be paying!

PS, Getting in first...WIT is not a University, and for some reason calling University 'Uni' seems to rub people up the wrong way. I dunno. ::D

Miaireland · 11-12-2014 06:10PM

It might be worth asking him to forward you a copy of the contract he signed when he moved in. Have a read through it before you ring the place.

The College accomdation in Waterford is managed by a management company to the best of my knowledge.

Have you asked your son was he served an order to vacate the premises?

hfallada · 11-12-2014 06:11PM

I have a feeling you arent getting the truth at all. My parents are LLs and the amount of parents that will start a conversation extremely aggressive on "how dare you evict my son/daughter over x,y,z". But yet my parents have evicted them for something totally different.Their son/daughter has made up a story on why they were evicted. My parents just evicted someone this month for anti-social behaviour(getting sick all over the house, waking up the house constantly, leaving out keys on the street, bringing home random guest etc.) His rent was never on time. Yet he made up some BS story on his eviction to his father. He also did tell his father he had already received several warnings.

I seriously believe your son isnt telling you the whole story at all. Phone the LL or accomdation officer. Then you will get the real story. I would also look at his Xmas Test results to see the whole picture.

christopherb · 11-12-2014 06:12PM

looksee wrote: »

He is under 18, you are entitled to ask questions and they have a bit more responsibility towards him (duty of care) than if he were over 18. At the same time you will probably find you will have to be responsible for paying for his accommodation as he is under age. One way or another the bank of mum and dad will be paying!

Wish it were that simple, but were both unemployed, we struggle to send him 60 euro a week to top up the 300 a month grant he gets (we hadn't been unemployed for long enough for him to get a full grant, when he applied) So the bank of mum and dad is closed!

If I can get this mess sorted out the one thing I will be doing is taking over the account his grant gets paid into and making sure the rent get paid before all else.

Oregano_State · 11-12-2014 06:17PM

Everyone in the UK calls University 'Uni'. I spent the past year doing a masters over there and at first I found it annoying but now I'm used to it and tend to use it when I'm talking. Dunno what my point is, but there you go.

Anyway OP, it sounds like your lad has most likely had a right good time for his first term in, erm, uni, and it looks like you will be picking up the tab as others have said. I would agree that calling up the landlord/whoever runs the accommodation is the best person to talk to about this. Possibly in future you should obtain the bank details of your son's LL and transfer the rent money directly, to prevent any unforeseen mishaps.

anonyanony · 11-12-2014 06:34PM

christopherb wrote: »

HI all,

We've a 17 year old son who's currently in year 1 at WIT, he's in college halls of residence (well it's a house with about 10 rooms across from the campus, I don't know the full details but apparently he didn't pay the rent (official story I've got is that, his rent for october was stolen, and the rent for November he had to live on, as he'd had Octobers rent stolen, I was under the impression that rent wasn't for living on; but hey ho......More likely he's pissed the money away like a pratt!).

He told us that, 'Last Friday a workman from the uni knocked on the door and told him he had to get out of the room and subsequently changed the lock to the room.' So for the last few days he's been sleeping in the room of a uni friend, with all his possessions locked in his old room. They won't give him access to even get a change of clothes.

Yes I know he's an idiot! But is what they have done even legal?

I'm going nuts here for all intense and purposes I've a 17 year old son, who a day ago I thought was doing ok at uni, whose actually essentially bloody homeless!

www[dot]prtb.ie/media-research/publications/licensees-in-private-rented-accommodation

3. persons occupying accommodation in which the owner is not resident under a formal license arrangement with the owner where the occupants are not entitled to its exclusive use and the owner has continuing access to the accommodation and/or can move around or change the occupants

Sounds like he is just a licensee so they have the right to evict him.

looksee · 11-12-2014 06:38PM

Oregano_State wrote: »

Everyone in the UK calls University 'Uni'. I spent the past year doing a masters over there and at first I found it annoying but now I'm used to it and tend to use it when I'm talking. Dunno what my point is, but there you go.

Anyway OP, it sounds like your lad has most likely had a right good time for his first term in, erm, uni, and it looks like you will be picking up the tab as others have said. I would agree that calling up the landlord/whoever runs the accommodation is the best person to talk to about this. Possibly in future you should obtain the bank details of your son's LL and transfer the rent money directly, to prevent any unforeseen mishaps.

Exactly!

Mr. Incognito · 11-12-2014 06:40PM

I think you have learned a lesson.

1. Do not trust your 17 year old son to pay his rent. You will have to pay it for him.

2. He is evicted. That's it. I would guess they had very very good reason to do so.

3. You cannot afford him being a moron.

I would advise that you pull him out for a year and send him back next year as he obviously is not mature enough yet but then you'll be paying full fees for the next year.

I think a stern talking to at Christmas and tell him that you have no deposit so he will have to commute. Where in the country are you based?

Call the college and get a copy of his timetable/ attendance if available.

11-12-2014 06:55PM

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

I think you have learned a lesson.

1. Do not trust your 17 year old son to pay his rent. You will have to pay it for him.

2. He is evicted. That's it. I would guess they had very very good reason to do so.

3. You cannot afford him being a moron.

I would advise that you pull him out for a year and send him back next year as he obviously is not mature enough yet but then you'll be paying full fees for the next year.

I think a stern talking to at Christmas and tell him that you have no deposit so he will have to commute. Where in the country are you based?

Call the college and get a copy of his timetable/ attendance if available.

Pulling him out for a year may not be that easy, as he won't get a grant again for another first year. Hopefully he'll scrape through exams and if not, repeats. Then take control of his rent for the next semester. Is Waterford the nearest college to you that does this particular course? Would he be in commuting distance? I know many students from Clonmel area commute daily. At 17, he's still very young.

MouseTail · 11-12-2014 07:14PM

I would agree that you are probably nit getting the full story, warnings were ignored I wager.
Priority is to get access to the property to collect his belongings, contact the Landlord to arrange this.
if he has been partying hard I would worry about his grades and attendance, a stern talking to is in order.

Mary63 · 11-12-2014 07:31PM

I own a student apartment and its let.

You owe the owner two months rent and you are on here whinging about it.

Do you think myself and other landlords are operating a charity service.Put the rent money in the bank account or else drive down tonight and help your ds pack his stuff so the poor landlord can find a new tenant asap.

christopherb · 11-12-2014 07:31PM

Oregano_State wrote: »

Everyone in the UK calls University 'Uni'. I spent the past year doing a masters over there and at first I found it annoying but now I'm used to it and tend to use it when I'm talking. Dunno what my point is, but there you go.

Busted! I'm a blow in from London originally.

11-12-2014 07:46PM

Do most people just hang around this forum to pass judgement and criticise? I dont think the OP will be any the wiser on what to expect/do when they ring the accommodation office after reading through this thread so far.

anonyanony · 11-12-2014 07:50PM

riffmongous wrote: »

Do most people just hang around this forum to pass judgement and criticise? I dont think the OP will be any the wiser on what to expect/do when they ring the accommodation office after reading through this thread so far.

She will be asked to pay back rent and be told her son is evicted that's what to expect.

looksee · 11-12-2014 07:54PM

riffmongous wrote: »

Do most people just hang around this forum to pass judgement and criticise? I dont think the OP will be any the wiser on what to expect/do when they ring the accommodation office after reading through this thread so far.

It would probably be good to offer some suggestions then?

11-12-2014 07:56PM

anonyanony wrote: »

She will be asked to pay back rent and be told her son is evicted that's what to expect.

For sure, and on the legality of making a 17 year old homeless without at least contacting their guardian? Seems a bit strange to me

The boy deserves no sympathy for sure, but people still have rights in these cases and the OP could do with knowing theirs not post after post telling them how to discipline their son, this shouldn't be the place for it

Mary63 · 11-12-2014 07:58PM

The landlord has rights too and the most important is seeing that money lodged into their account every month.

anonyanony · 11-12-2014 07:59PM

riffmongous wrote: »

For sure, and on the legality of making a 17 year old homeless without at least contacting their guardian? Seems a bit strange to me

The boy deserves no sympathy for sure, but people still have rights in these cases and the OP could do with knowing theirs not post after post telling them how to discipline their son, this shouldn't be the place for it

He not homeless he has his parents home to live in, we don't know what notices they gave him but I doubt they just changed the locks on a whim

christopherb · 11-12-2014 08:02PM

edeldonlon wrote: »

Why don't you ring up the accommodation office and find out what is actually going on. He is 17 years of age and he may like to tell some white lies

The number is +353 (0) 51 302615

I'm sure he must be finished next week for christmas, he might be able to stay at friends until then and find somewhere new for after christmas. Also have a look at the contract that he/you signed and see what it says.

Thanks, I will be on the phone to them tomorrow. Unfortunately the contract he/my wife signed would be locked in his room, so I've no idea if it's a regular lease or he is classed as a licensee. I guess we are guarantors (this'll be fun!)

White lies! I'm gonna kill him!

christopherb · 11-12-2014 08:06PM

hfallada wrote: »

I have a feeling you arent getting the truth at all. My parents are LLs and the amount of parents that will start a conversation extremely aggressive on "how dare you evict my son/daughter over x,y,z". But yet my parents have evicted them for something totally different.Their son/daughter has made up a story on why they were evicted. My parents just evicted someone this month for anti-social behaviour(getting sick all over the house, waking up the house constantly, leaving out keys on the street, bringing home random guest etc.) His rent was never on time. Yet he made up some BS story on his eviction to his father. He also did tell his father he had already received several warnings.

I seriously believe your son isnt telling you the whole story at all. Phone the LL or accomdation officer. Then you will get the real story. I would also look at his Xmas Test results to see the whole picture.

The only bit of this I actually believe is that 'he's been locked out', the rest of his story? Blah complete bollox. And yep I agree 'full story' unlikely.

christopherb · 11-12-2014 08:10PM

Miaireland wrote: »

It might be worth asking him to forward you a copy of the contract he signed when he moved in. Have a read through it before you ring the place.

Locked in the room.

The College accomdation in Waterford is managed by a management company to the best of my knowledge.

Have you asked your son was he served an order to vacate the premises?

I've asked him for a full list of all communication with the accomodation office with explicit instructions that he leaves nothing out, at the moment he's a meeting with SVP, he's told me he'll do it after.

griffin100 · 11-12-2014 08:19PM

Most colleges use a licence to reside rather than a lease for college owned accommodation as it gives the students no tenancy rights. That said I doubt a college will turf out a first year this close to christmas exams without lots of notice and even then it would be unusual (unless gross misbehaviour is involved). You should contact the college and make sure that it is a college owned property. If it is you can try and do a deal with the college where the arrears are paid off over the rest of the licence period. Your son should also contact the SU and ask their welfare officer for assistance. There may also be an internal student advisor he can go to for advice. He's not the first 1st year to piss his rent away so it's not like they won't have dealt with this before.

That said this is WIT and I don't know their track history in situations like this. I do know however that for the colleges I deal with there is a very clearly defined set process in place and sudden unannounced evictions do not happen.

handlemaster · 11-12-2014 08:32PM

OP . It sounds like your son is a liar and a dishonest individual. Might be the lesson he needed that mom and dad didnt teach him. He will have to man up and face his responsibilities or your going to facing trouble in years to come with unpaid bills.

hfallada · 11-12-2014 09:04PM

christopherb wrote: »

The only bit of this I actually believe is that 'he's been locked out', the rest of his story? Blah complete bollox. And yep I agree 'full story' unlikely.

He wasnt locked out. He was leaving his keys on a Dublin street to let his brother in. What do I have to gain making up a story on boards? You only ever here the stories of LLs unfairly withholding deposits on liveline. Not how difficult Irish students are to rent to. Irish Students are a nigthmare to rent to. German students are demanding about expecting to have issues resolved same day. But they dont phone you at 3am to tell you they are locked out and there is no one else in the house to let them in.

My parents are LLs for nearly 20 years. You would believe what they have heard and seen tenants do.

anonyanony · 11-12-2014 09:12PM

hfallada wrote: »

He wasnt locked out. He was leaving his keys on a Dublin street to let his brother in. What do I have to gain making up a story on boards? You only ever here the stories of LLs unfairly withholding deposits on liveline. Not how difficult Irish students are to rent to. Irish Students are a nigthmare to rent to. German students are demanding about expecting to have issues resolved same day. But they dont phone you at 3am to tell you they are locked out and there is no one else in the house to let them in.

My parents are LLs for nearly 20 years. You would believe what they have heard and seen tenants do.

He is saying he doesn't believe his own son's story not yours, that's what I got from the post anyway

quadrifoglio verde · 11-12-2014 09:15PM

hfallada wrote: »

He wasnt locked out. He was leaving his keys on a Dublin street to let his brother in. What do I have to gain making up a story on boards? You only ever here the stories of LLs unfairly withholding deposits on liveline. Not how difficult Irish students are to rent to. Irish Students are a nigthmare to rent to. German students are demanding about expecting to have issues resolved same day. But they dont phone you at 3am to tell you they are locked out and there is no one else in the house to let them in.

My parents are LLs for nearly 20 years. You would believe what they have heard and seen tenants do.

My Dad has three rules, no students, no unemployed and good references. Why anyone would rent to students is beyond me, its asking for trouble.

Anyway OP, best to get onto the accommodation service. Id highly doubt that he's telling you the full truth, they might shed some light on it

the_syco · 11-12-2014 09:59PM

anonyanony wrote: »

She will be asked to pay back rent and be told her son is evicted that's what to expect.

If the digs are tied into WIT, eviction may be the least of his worries.

From http://witcampusservices.ie/accommodation/faqs/faqs.php

Furthermore you will be liable for all rent owing if you have a contract signed.

From http://witcampusservices.ie/accommodation/guide_lines/index.php#rent

Late payment of rents will incur a €100.00 fine per term and a €50 fine for pay monthly. Rent is due on the first day of each Term. Unpaid rent is deemed late after this date.

Seems you'll have to pay a fine as well as the late rent.

riffmongous wrote: »

For sure, and on the legality of making a 17 year old homeless without at least contacting their guardian? Seems a bit strange to me

Perhaps the son has put his mates number down as "the parent", so the real parents don't get the bad news?

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

My Dad has three rules, no students, no unemployed and good references. Why anyone would rent to students is beyond me, its asking for trouble.

Because if you're near a college, you can charge what you want. If it's single glazed with a rat problem, rent to a load of first years. If it has good heating, rent to 2nd years, etc. Look at Maynooth; artificially high rent when the students are there, because they can charge that amount.

hfallada wrote: »

My parents are LLs for nearly 20 years. You would believe what they have heard and seen tenants do.

I've been a student in Carlow IT. I can safely say that I've seen a lot of crap on both sides of the fence, with crap landlords giving crap digs to students who in turn don't give a toss about it. And excellent digs having the walls boxed, and doors going missing. One landlord had a front door that unless you locked it, it was always open :mad:

Our 17 year old uni student evicted from digs

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