Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

House Share Bills?

Options
  • 17-09-2020 1:25am
    #1
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭


    Sorry for long spiel. I recently moved into a house share with two others. The advertisement stated 'Rooms available in ___. €300 per month with a deposit of €200. Bills shared. Not owner occupied'. The man who posted the advertisement (who I'm sharing with) with said they were like the 'head' tenant or something and it's kind of up to them to find someone to rent the rooms in the house. There are 4 rooms in house with 3 occupied. The 'head' said he was also trying to fill the other room but people have shown interest and he is picking who he wants in the house (it is still not filled). When I was enquiring about the house he said there was a top up meter for electricity (rip off anyway!!!) that was around €10 a week each. When I moved in he mentioned something about him paying for bins. Now today I saw that the prepay electricity meter was running low so I said it was his turn. Then he said no that me and the other tenant pay for electricity and he pays for bins/heating (which has not been turned on yet). He also said something about that me and the other tenant pay cheaper for the rooms and this was a reason for us paying electricity. There is also broadband (which I am not using as I have my own). He said when I asked him about paying for electricity that he is also paying for broadband but let's the other tenant use it also. In general should I have to pay for broadband if i don't use it anyway? This lad seems to be taking me for a ride? Where do I stand?
    Just wondering what should I do? Should I challenge him and say bills should be split equally?(like other house shares). If he doesn't agree where do I stand in getting my deposit back if i want to move out? There was nothing signed or anything. Now it seems to me that he is just renting the whole house and renting out the rooms? Thanks (I'm new to renting)


«1

Comments

  • Options
    #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    you haven't set out very clearly what each bill actually is

    generally, it should even out about equal

    yeah you'd have to pay broadband share regardless of use imo


  • Options
    #3
    Ish66
    Registered Users Posts: 462 ✭✭Ish66


    zeebre12 wrote: »
    Sorry for long spiel. I recently moved into a house share with two others. The advertisement stated 'Rooms available in ___. €300 per month with a deposit of €200. Bills shared. Not owner occupied'. The man who posted the advertisement (who I'm sharing with) with said they were like the 'head' tenant or something and it's kind of up to them to find someone to rent the rooms in the house. There are 4 rooms in house with 3 occupied. The 'head' said he was also trying to fill the other room but people have shown interest and he is picking who he wants in the house (it is still not filled). When I was enquiring about the house he said there was a top up meter for electricity (rip off anyway!!!) that was around €10 a week each. When I moved in he mentioned something about him paying for bins. Now today I saw that the prepay electricity meter was running low so I said it was his turn. Then he said no that me and the other tenant pay for electricity and he pays for bins/heating (which has not been turned on yet). He also said something about that me and the other tenant pay cheaper for the rooms and this was a reason for us paying electricity. There is also broadband (which I am not using as I have my own). He said when I asked him about paying for electricity that he is also paying for broadband but let's the other tenant use it also. In general should I have to pay for broadband if i don't use it anyway? This lad seems to be taking me for a ride? Where do I stand?
    Just wondering what should I do? Should I challenge him and say bills should be split equally?(like other house shares). If he doesn't agree where do I stand in getting my deposit back if i want to move out? There was nothing signed or anything. Now it seems to me that he is just renting the whole house and renting out the rooms? Thanks (I'm new to renting)

    You really did not explain the situation very well, I really am confused, Try again maybe ?


  • Options
    #4
    bobbyy gee
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,306 ✭✭✭bobbyy gee


    300 a month is a deal
    Add all bills you pay to your rent for a total and see what you could get else where all bills should be totaled and divided by the amount of people you need to be able to see. The bills


  • Options
    #5
    Padre_Pio
    Registered Users Posts: 4,896 ✭✭✭Padre_Pio


    Generally bills are in one person's name.

    They pay the full bill to the company and split the cost among all tenants.

    So you should pay 1/3 of all the bills. That's it, end of.

    The prepay electricity is a balls. Best bet is to estimate how much you use a month, split the cost three ways and put it all into the machine.

    Or just get everyone to put 30euro to the electricity every time it runs low.


  • Options
    #6
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭zeebre12


    Ish66 wrote: »
    You really did not explain the situation very well, I really am confused, Try again maybe ?

    The way he explains it to me it seems he is almost trying to make it confusing for me.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭zeebre12


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    you haven't set out very clearly what each bill actually is

    generally, it should even out about equal

    yeah you'd have to pay broadband share regardless of use imo

    There is:
    electricity: prepay power (me and other tenant are taking turns paying that)
    Broadband: he says he is paying that but me and other tenant can use it
    Heating: he says he is paying that (has not been turn on since I moved in September 1st)
    Bins: he says he is paying that

    Can both of them not split broadband? I am paying for my own broadband. Then we split all other bills equally? And take turns topping up prepay power meter? It will cost me €40 just on electricity (which seems a lot).


  • Options
    #8
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭zeebre12


    bobbyy gee wrote: »
    300 a month is a deal
    Add all bills you pay to your rent for a total and see what you could get else where all bills should be totaled and divided by the amount of people you need to be able to see. The bills

    I'm only there since Sep 1st. The only bill I can see is the electricity as I pay that. He says he is sorting out the rest.


  • Options
    #9
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭zeebre12


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    you haven't set out very clearly what each bill actually is

    generally, it should even out about equal

    yeah you'd have to pay broadband share regardless of use imo

    He decided he wants broadband and has it for the house. It doesn't come with house. He can choose to cancel it if he wants and the house would have no broadband. Could he then decide to have a gas heater in the living room and we would all have to pay for that? So I could decide I want Sky Sports in the house and they would all have to contribute to that? I don't think so. Heating/bins/electricity are essential services for a house, broadband is not?


  • Options
    #10
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭zeebre12


    bobbyy gee wrote: »
    300 a month is a deal
    Add all bills you pay to your rent for a total and see what you could get else where all bills should be totaled and divided by the amount of people you need to be able to see. The bills

    I have nothing to do with other bills. I am only paying for electricity?


  • Options
    #11
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭zeebre12


    Padre_Pio wrote: »
    Generally bills are in one person's name.

    They pay the full bill to the company and split the cost among all tenants.

    So you should pay 1/3 of all the bills. That's it, end of.

    The prepay electricity is a balls. Best bet is to estimate how much you use a month, split the cost three ways and put it all into the machine.

    Or just get everyone to put 30euro to the electricity every time it runs low.

    Can not just take turns topping up meter when it runs out?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    RurtBeynolds
    Registered Users Posts: 289 ✭✭RurtBeynolds


    Sounds like you have it pretty handy op.


  • Options
    #13
    lainey_d_123
    Registered Users Posts: 2,385 ✭✭✭lainey_d_123


    zeebre12 wrote: »
    There is:
    electricity: prepay power (me and other tenant are taking turns paying that)
    Broadband: he says he is paying that but me and other tenant can use it
    Heating: he says he is paying that (has not been turn on since I moved in September 1st)
    Bins: he says he is paying that

    Can both of them not split broadband? I am paying for my own broadband. Then we split all other bills equally? And take turns topping up prepay power meter? It will cost me €40 just on electricity (which seems a lot).

    Did you tell them before you moved in that you wouldn't be paying for broadband? If not, you should pay it. It's 2020, it's an essential service that almost everyone expects in a house share. The norm is to chip in for ALL shared bills unless you have specifically organised otherwise. It's not fair to expect the other tenants to pay more because you've chosen to opt out.

    You seem determined to believe the lad is ripping you off because the heating hasn't been turned on yet, but we're about to go into autumn/winter and the bill for that isn't going to be insignificant.

    300 euros a month all in seems like a very good deal to me and I wouldn't be complaining about it, to be honest. For future reference you should always ask the specifics of bills before you move in.


  • Options
    #14
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭zeebre12


    lainey_d_123 wrote: »
    Did you tell them before you moved in that you wouldn't be paying for broadband? If not, you should pay it. It's 2020, it's an essential service that almost everyone expects in a house share. The norm is to chip in for ALL shared bills unless you have specifically organised otherwise. It's not fair to expect the other tenants to pay more because you've chosen to opt out.

    You seem determined to believe the lad is ripping you off because the heating hasn't been turned on yet, but we're about to go into autumn/winter and the bill for that isn't going to be insignificant.

    300 euros a month all in seems like a very good deal to me and I wouldn't be complaining about it, to be honest. For future reference you should always ask the specifics of bills before you move in.

    So I could say I want Sky Sports in the house and we would have to share the bill?
    I asked what bills were in the house before I moved in. So you're saying I should look for a copy of previous bills before I move in. It said on the ad BILLS SHARED. He never said anything about him not contributing to electricity until I questioned him. When I questioned him about not paying he muttered something about us two paying cheaper rent.


  • Options
    #15
    cruizer101
    Registered Users Posts: 3,205 ✭✭✭cruizer101


    Sky sports and broadband are not the same though.
    Broadband is more or less essential these days and considered the same same as electricity.
    Can you not stop paying your broadband and use the house one?

    I agree it is a messy situation, far cleaner to just split all bills equally.
    At the end of the day you seem to be in a licencee situation so you have little to no rights so you just need to accept it or move. Have a think about the total you are paying per month compared to elsewhere if bills were split more normally, total out is what matters.


  • Options
    #16
    Padre_Pio
    Registered Users Posts: 4,896 ✭✭✭Padre_Pio


    zeebre12 wrote: »
    Can not just take turns topping up meter when it runs out?

    Nope. Meter runs out and whoever's turn it is to top up happens to be away.

    So they get skipped and you need to ask them to double pay next time.

    Messy.


  • Options
    #17
    Browney7
    Registered Users Posts: 3,098 ✭✭✭Browney7


    Is your issue here OP that you and another housemate have to split ESB amongst ye every month which might be 60 quid each maybe, and he's offsetting this by paying bins and broadband?

    I.E. your contribution to bills is more than his? Or do you just not want to pay broadband? If you feel you are paying an unfair contribution to total bills then you need to talk it out and drill down to who's paying what. If you are saying you don't want to pay towards broadband I think you need to suck it up as I feel that's unreasonable - I assume you are happy to tether off your phone or some other arangement like that.


  • Options
    #18
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭zeebre12


    Padre_Pio wrote: »
    Nope. Meter runs out and whoever's turn it is to top up happens to be away.

    So they get skipped and you need to ask them to double pay next time.

    Messy.

    No when it gets to €0.00 it starts counting up. So when someone tops it up they could write day/time they put it on? I haven't paid my share this week and it's at €-9.98.


  • Options
    #19
    Silverfish
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 16,696 Mod ✭✭✭✭Silverfish


    What's heating your water?


  • Options
    #20
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭zeebre12


    Silverfish wrote: »
    What's heating your water?

    The emerson is just turned on for a few minutes for showering.


  • Options
    #21
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭zeebre12


    When he said about us two paying for electricity he said something about how us two are paying less rent and that's why we are paying for electricity. (It's almost as if we pay extra utilities because we are paying less than him for our our rooms) I'm just renting a room that should have nothing to do with me paying extra.
    And the thing is I don't know if I am paying extra at all as I just have to deal with electricity. But he would hardly have it as messy as it is if he wasn't benefiting in some way.
    I could also get picky if i wanted as I leave house every Friday morning and don't arrive back until Monday evening (go home at weekends) so I shouldn't be paying as much for electricity.
    It's a big mess. Just wondering if I choose to move out how much notice do I have to give to get deposit back?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    Browney7
    Registered Users Posts: 3,098 ✭✭✭Browney7


    zeebre12 wrote: »
    When he said about us two paying for electricity he said something about how us two are paying less rent and that's why we are paying for electricity. (It's almost as if we pay extra utilities because we are paying less than him for our our rooms) I'm just renting a room that should have nothing to do with me paying extra.
    And the thing is I don't know if I am paying extra at all as I just have to deal with electricity. But he would hardly have it as messy as it is if he wasn't benefiting in some way.
    I could also get picky if i wanted as I leave house every Friday morning and don't arrive back until Monday evening (go home at weekends) so I shouldn't be paying as much for electricity.
    It's a big mess. Just wondering if I choose to move out how much notice do I have to give to get deposit back?

    In a house share you've no defence about looking for reduced ESB contributions for not being there at weekends. I'd give that very short shrift quite honestly


  • Options
    #23
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    OP you seem to want to argue the point with everyone here

    seeing as you started a thread not knowing what the norms were id say thats a questionable approach from yourself tbh

    constructively, you should have an jdea of what electric, heat, broadband and other utilities are coming to roughly each month and be splitting that

    never heard yet of someone opting out of a household bill they say they wont use. broadband is a utility.

    good luck finding out the info on what the bills are, thats where id put my questioning energy were i you


  • Options
    #24
    Padre_Pio
    Registered Users Posts: 4,896 ✭✭✭Padre_Pio


    zeebre12 wrote: »
    No when it gets to €0.00 it starts counting up. So when someone tops it up they could write day/time they put it on? I haven't paid my share this week and it's at €-9.98.

    And when does it cut off leaving you in the dark? Isnt it at -10?
    By rights it should never go negative.

    You have a jar that should always have 30 euro from everyone in it. When the leccy gets low, take the 90 euro and buy credit.

    Then put 30euro in the jar and tell everyone to do the same, or even revolut you 30 and you'll put it in. They've a few weeks.

    Rinse and repeat. Nothing worse than chasing someone for a tenner that you need right away to buy credit.


  • Options
    #25
    AllForIt
    Registered Users Posts: 8,269 ✭✭✭AllForIt


    Anything other than sharing all the bills equally no matter what is a complete and utter nightmare.


  • Options
    #26
    fletch
    Registered Users Posts: 7,380 ✭✭✭fletch


    zeebre12 wrote: »
    Can both of them not split broadband? I am paying for my own broadband.
    So there are two broadband connections coming into the house? Somehow I doubt that. I guess you are referring to data on your phone? Not really comparing apples with apples


  • Options
    #27
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭zeebre12


    fletch wrote: »
    So there are two broadband connections coming into the house? Somehow I doubt that. I guess you are referring to data on your phone? Not really comparing apples with apples

    I have my own mobile modem that I pay for each month. I can carry it around with me. I bring it home at weekends.
    There is nothing coming into the house. He has a mobile modem with eir in the living room.


  • Options
    #28
    dartboardio
    Registered Users Posts: 2,436 ✭✭✭dartboardio


    There should be a kitty between the 3 of you for all bills ideally. Split all bills no matter who uses that or who doesn't use that....

    Split everything 3 ways.

    Toilet roll, electricity, heating, washing up liquid everything.


  • Options
    #29
    Padre_Pio
    Registered Users Posts: 4,896 ✭✭✭Padre_Pio


    zeebre12 wrote: »
    I have my own mobile modem that I pay for each month. I can carry it around with me. I bring it home at weekends.
    There is nothing coming into the house. He has a mobile modem with eir in the living room.
    dartboardio wrote: »
    There should be a kitty between the 3 of you for all bills ideally. Split all bills no matter who uses that or who doesn't use that....

    Split everything 3 ways.

    Toilet roll, electricity, heating, washing up liquid everything.

    This advice.

    Trying to break down how much people use things or not is a nightmare. I couldn't get near the telly when lads were watching some series. I still paid my share of Sky. Likewise if I'm away for a few weeks, I still pay for electricity and gas.

    Trying to do it any other way is asking for hardship.

    Even if you don't use it, I would probably pay for it, since it's a standard utility in the house, unless they agree that you don't have to.


  • Options
    #30
    zeebre12
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭zeebre12


    So in relation to bills not being shared I am at the mercy of the person I am renting the room in the house from? If I ask him can we not share the bills equally between the three of us and he says no, is it more or less 'tough luck'? So it's like 'if you don't like it you can always find somewhere else'?
    So I have basically no rights? For arguments sake he could she he is not contributing to any bills and I would just have to put up with it or find somewhere else?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #31
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    did you go and ask what the bills are yet?


Advertisement