A
female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes:Ok, so this isn't a relationship question but I don't know where else to go to for advice. Any help greatly appreciated.I am currently a student living in the UK and share a house with 4 other students. At first things were good and we would have a laugh. But very slowly there has become a massive problem with mess. Just to be clear here, we are not talking about a few plates and dishes here and there. We are talking about food being left out on the carpet, rubbish just thrown on the floor, mold growing everywhere out of old pizza boxes, cig butts just dropped on the carpet - really awful stuff. It started off that at first my flatmates werent washing their dishes, and I would complain about the mess but it would never get cleaned up and I would always end up cleaning it up after a week of begging them to do their share. And now it has progressed to mess that is just so out of line, I actually think it is affecting my breathing - I have asthma. The house is a mess, there is mold and old food everywhere and after coming back from a weekend away - where I was actually visiting a dying relative, so I have enough on my plate as it is without running around cleaning up after flatmates - and discovering that the mess had reached new lows, I've realised I have to do something. I can no longer live in this situation and I need advice.Talking to my flatmates is not an option. I have tried time and time again - texts, emails, face to face, but always its the same answer - they all blame eachother or they just say they will do it later. Regardless, it never gets done and I'm the one who has to end up cleaning. On top of this, it almost seems as though they have no concern or care for my opinion and rights as a tentant inside the house. They all knew about my dying relative and I asked beofre I left could someone please tidy up the mess in the house before I got back. On arriving back not only had it not been touched, but it was worse. It's a complete disregard for my feelings. So talking, isn't working.We all signed the contract together and all have seperate guarantors - is there any chance I could get myself out of the contract on the grounds I do not wish to live in the condition in which I am currently forced to live? I have taken photographs of how bad things are and I am really not exaggerating how bad this is. It is getting me down mentally, and is affectingthe way I live my life. I currently pay £433 a month and have a double room. However, I cannot use the living room because of all the take away foods piled up and all the rubbish, and cannot cook or eat in the kitchen for the same reason. So in effect I am technically coughing up £433 a month for a double room which is just insane.I need advice - what are my rights when my flatmates are making the house unhygenic to the point its affecting my asthma? Seriously, theres mold everywhere. Can I get out of my contract? It expires september.Please help.
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female
reader, k_c100 +, writes (20 April 2010):
 I think you would have difficulty in getting out of the contract, landlords are notorious in the UK for being so terrible, especially student landlords so you would have a massive fight on your hands.
I think first you need to contact your landlord and ask him/her to come visit the property. After all, it is their property and it is in their interests to maintain the property to a good standard. If he or she sees it in such a state I would think that they will gather all your housemates and give them a good telling off, and a warning that if they do not improve the house and maintain it then a multitude of things may happen.
One thing that has just come to me - I remember at one point during uni I wanted to move out of my student house, and looked into how I would do that. I think the only way it would have worked is to basically replace yourself - so you would have to find another housemate to live in the house instead of you, so the landlord would not lose any rent. Basically you have signed a contract tying you to that house, and you are contracted to pay rent until September. But if you can find another person to pay the rent until September then really the landlord cannot argue with that as it doesnt matter who's name is on that contract. So if you can find someone to take your place and stay in the house until September then you might have a way out.
But think about this logically - University typically ends for the summer at the end of May/early June. So really you have at most 6 weeks left then you break up for the summer and dont return until September. Are you not going back home for the summer? Even if you are staying in the house - will all your housemates be around for the summer? It might not be as bad as you think, if you are going home to your parents for the summer then you only have to tolerate around 6 more weeks of your housemates and then you are done. 6 weeks in the grand scheme of things is not long at all!
One other suggestion - why not suggest to your housemates that you club in to pay for a cleaner once a week? having a cleaner around for an hour or 2 doesnt cost much at all (maybe £20 or £30) and if you split the cost between you then it wont be much at all. That way at least you know it is getting cleaned and it will hopefully make things a little better.
I cant think of anything else really, maybe it is worth going to see someone official at your uni to see if they can help. I know my old uni had a student housing association and they were great for advice on issues such as this, so of your uni has something like that then make use of it.
I hope this helps and good luck!
A
female
reader, rambini +, writes (20 April 2010):
 i hate to say it, but i think your stuck there til september unless you are willing to move out but continue paying rent. the nature of a tenancy means you are all jointly and severely liable for the house, which includes the condition it is kept in. What that essentially means in basic terms is you chose to live with them so its your problem not your landlords. Im really sorry, I know how harsh that seems. you could try asking your landlord for help but the risk is that when he sees the house he will evict you. the landlord cannot evict one person on a joint tenancy, if he issues an eviction it will be for all of you. and none of you will get your deposit back either and you will have to pay rent until the landlord finds someone else to live there as well as cleaning costs and eviction costs. your landlord is under no obligation to help you, but he might do, just bear in mind the risk of eviction. aside from that there is nothing legally you can do as you agreed to live with them.
your landlord may agree that if you find somebody else to take your place in the house, you can leave. this is a possibility, and would mean you were free of the house without paying costs or getting evicted. however it may be difficult to find someone else who wants to live there!!
however that is probably your best hope.
I dont know whether you have an advice bureau at your university, or whether they might be able to help but that is another avenue you could try.
Im so sorry you are going through all this, you have so much on your plate and i really feel sorry for you. I hope you are able to do something, as it must be awful living with these people. if you are able to go home for the summer, at least that isnt too far away.
you should just start to collect all the mess they leave, rubbish, cig butts etc and just dump it in their room, they will soon get the picture. also if you get a plastic stacking box and store your own plates, cups, pans etc in there, and keep it in your room, so at least you can cook with clean utensils.
im so sorry i couldnt help more, i wish you the best of luck, just persevere with them, and im always here if you want to pm me or chat.
xxxxx
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A
male
reader, Red Green 0289  +, writes (20 April 2010):
I agree, document everything- with digital cameras there's not a reason not to have 200+ photos. Write down conversations, commitments and their failure (or success) in meeting those commitments. See if you can find a ombudsman who assist people in working out situations such as this- their may be one at your university. Find a solicitor and see if there is a method by which you can legally notify all your flat mates that they are in violation of the lease and that you are going to terminate (after notifying the landlord of course)- you might have to make another rental commitment with your current landlord for another flat (if they own multiples, and one is available). Go to your Dr., show them the photos and see if they will put in writing that you need the condition cleaned up or you have to move.Build as large of a body of evidence and understand the law before you move out.Or consider alerting the landlord of the problem, maybe he'll throw the entire lot of you in the street.
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A
male
reader, rcn +, writes (20 April 2010):
 Speak to a solicitor. I live in the U.S., and with your pics and such, I believe their are laws which justify an early termination. I know the U.S. and U.K. are fairly close in our legal system. Property leases are fairly touchy, because you're dealing with others who are under "same" contract as you are, and not a direct violation by the owner/landlord against you. Meanwhile, keep a journal as well, jot down efforts you made, times dates, etc. to get your roommates to pitch in and get things straightened up.
I hope everything works out for you.
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