Cannot pay rent to landlord – what to do?

12 comments

1. > my parents are guarantors for me, but I can’t ask them for money

   Why not?

   But also, you’re short £1600? Is that just your rent for a month, or everybody’s?

2. Phone them. Let them know what’s going on. Communicate.

   You mention you’re a student, so your university may have a hardship fund or hardship loan system.

3. If your parents are guarantors and you don’t pay, your landlord will expect them to pay.

   You won’t have to ask them for anything, your landlord will ask them directly. In a practical sense, this is as much their debt as yours now

4. Would suggest first of all to take a breath and check in with yourself around the shame and panic. You’re not the first person to have this problem, won’t be the last, and lots of people are also struggling right now with rent and cost of living. Assuming this might be your first experience of rental, and it’s a live and learn moment, you’ll look back on with wiser eyes very soon.

   In the meantime, maybe try talking to your landlord or letting agent first and explaining the situation. You might be able to figure out where their thinking is at, and what your options are. They may suggest they’re open to a late payment arrangement of some kind, or they may not, but at least you’ll know.

   Next, I’d recommend speaking to Citizens’ Advice who are very knowledgeable on such things and will be able to talk you through your options.

5. Contact your Student Union today, or pop in/give a call they’ll have a hardship fund and you can get an application in today.

   It may not pay it all but will be a start.

   Also communicate with the landlord let them know the problem and (be prepared they might be a bit arsey as a result at first) look to agreeing some sort of payment plan.

   Was this direct with a landlord or via an agency? If an agency contact the agency

6. Whole point of a guarantor is so the landlord is covered If you can’t pay…so yes it could harm your parents, financially anyway.

7. I won’t beat about the bush:

   Did you rent a room individually, or a house jointly?

   If a room individually, then both you and your guarantors (likely one of your parents) are jointly and severally liable for the £1600.

   If you jointly rented the house with your housemates, then you, your housemates, your guarantor (your parents) and your housemates guarantors can all be pursued for the amount due. A jointly signed AST binds the joint signatories together “jointly and severally”, and the guarantor agreements binds the guarantors in jointly and severally as well (unless your housemates’ guarantors negotiated clauses that limited their liability).

   Better to speak with the agents – and your parents – now. The agents to start a discussion about a repayment plan. Your parents because (as a parent myself saying this), they really don’t want to be finding out when they open a letter containing a demand for the money.

8. Communicate with everyone. Your landlord, your parents. Figure out how you can make a plan to pay it, maybe over a year, and crack on with it. Nobody’s interested in getting you into trouble, they just want to get paid.

9. Well, go on then – what did you spend it on?

   I bought an MG Midget with my student loan. Then I had to get a job to pay my rent. No ragerts.

10. If your parents are guarantee they will eventually go to them for the money. As someone else said communicate with everyone involved. The landlord, your parents, your housemates. Own up to your mistake now. Sure people might be upset but the longer you leave this the more fees will build up and the more it will damage your credit score and your parents credit score and potentially your housemates. The landlord would much rather work with you than chase the money via courts and debt collectors which is more expensive for everyone.

11. > The house is (I think) an assured short hold tenancy, that was shared between 6 of us. Aside from the trouble I’m in, I’m wondering if the landlord can legally punish my house-mates?

    Whose names were on the tenancy? Everyone who is on the tenancy is equally liable for the full rent of the property, not just their share. They would only be liable for their share if they signed an agreement renting a single room but if the tenancy was joint one for the whole property the landlord can go after any individual named for the whole rent owed.

    > Additionally my parents are guarantors for me, but I can’t ask them for money

    As they’re guarantors they’re who the landlord will chase for the money when you don’t pay and the landlord can take them to court for non-payment just the same as you. They’re as legally responsible for paying the rent as you are. That’s what being a guarantor means.

    > this is the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life and I have no idea where to go from here.

    Contact the landlord now, rather than later and discuss sorting this. It may be that you’re going to need to take a part time job to earn money to pay for it.

12. If it’s a joint tenancy your landlord can chase whichever tenant he likes for the shortfall. If the tenants won’t pay he can chase whichever guarantor he likes. It’s then up to the tenants to sort things out between them, by lawsuit if need be.

    The landlord cannot “punish”. He cannot claim any more money than the missing rent, plus interest that is capped to pretty much inflation.

    Edit: If the landlord doesn’t want the deposit for anything else, he’ll probably just use that to cover the rent shortfall.