Maureen_539
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8,691 Posts
Always have used the latter when 3 student friends wanted to house share for 12 months. No problems at all-as no issues to contend with. Recently, due to unusual circumstance 2'singles'(students) have been accommodated in a terraced student house, together with a rent paying, long established [04-08]student tenant. Since then the 'joint and several' scenario or even cooperative culture has been difficult to achieve in practice. Frictions due to the low level peevishness of the original tenant(OT) who resents being invited to join in a cleaning schedule,or buy house sundries.His weapons of choice being banal excuse or exhausting procrastination.
Bills are in the OT's name[?] and he is all upbeat smiles when collecting dues from the other 2. I worry these are then used as income stream because of the high number of unopened utility bills scattered about.The OT,in sharp contrast to the others, keeps his room at the'hovel'level and also messily careless in all common areas[in spite of 'room standards criteria' in trms/cndns of AST].
So how to deal with this OT 'well cute' Student Union Rep?
Landlord 14 day Improvement Notices have worked well when OT's behaviour cause hazards which actually threaten all tenants health or safety.
The next step I am considering is the lure of the precise focus offered by Individual Tenancies. Tnts were on an AST (17/3/07).This had to roll over to SPT on the day because the OT did not fulfil a prior promise to turn up,agree terms and sign the joint AST.Hindsight,eh?
Has anyone used this type of tenancy and found it more practical to operate when tnts wanting a 'shared' house-on an AST, decide to act as individuals?
What are the pitfalls, aside from inability to claim rent and the issue with TV Licenses?
Thinking about tnt obligation for cost of damage in common/shared use areas for instance.Would issue with utility bills become harder to sort out?
Thank you for any help/support you can offer on the sorts of TA's you can suggest.
D.
