Evil Buy To Let Landlord demands rent from students after their friend dies(Daily Mail)

[Caged]

It sounds like they did make an attempt to meet the guy more than halfway on the remaining rent. Now maybe you don't consider that reasonable, but it's not like they wanted to remain living there at the same time so I see it as a fair offer.

They are uni students, of course they are going to act like kids - they pretty much are. I knew a few people at uni who seemed like well rounded people, but a huge amount are just not. That's why they pay more to rent places.

No doubt you've never screwed up in your life, but for those who have I'm sure they appreciate being cut a little bit of slack when it happens, and ultimately end up learning from the experience.

No one forces people to rent. People are more than welcome to purchase their own property, you can live on the street under some cardboard if you prefer that avenue.

Nobody forces people to rent in the same way that nobody is forced to keep working a job that pays them very little and they hate. In isolation both statements are correct, but when you apply it to the actual real world it's often quite different.

 

[Tosno]

No one forces people to rent. People are more than welcome to purchase their own property, you can live on the street under some cardboard if you prefer that avenue.

Majority of renters do not have the option to buy (if they do then that's really their choice) if you do not rent you die on the street, landlords know peoples hands are forced and got a captive market of plebs to exort.

 

[dowie]

I think the landlord is running on principle mode. I don't even think it's down to the money, it's down to them acting like kids trying to work their way out of a contract due to a dead guy and making zero reasonable attempt at renegotiating the terms.

It does seem quite likely, sure they probably were traumatized by the event but getting upset over a friends death doesn't logically mean you can't carry on living in a particular property - people die in properties all the time, it is quite a common location for someone to die. Someone with a relative or partner who has recently died is likely as traumatised if not more so than someone with a friend they've known for a year or two at university, yet the normal reaction isn't to unilaterally terminated the rental agreement and move out.

The offer of university accommodation and not wanting to pay for both probably was a strong motivator here and the landlord presumably isn't too chuffed at the idea that he might has to lose a few grand as a result.

 

[MichaelAwkward]

I don't think you understand how contracts work...

Eh? A contract can be broken by the actions of landlords too Happens all the time.

 

[Caged]

I think it's impossible to say how a person will react to the death of a housemate in their house until it happens, or even to establish what a "normal" reaction to that would be so that I can then decide whether it's reasonable or not to want to move out of the house.

OcUK however, is apparently filled with experts on every subject who can not only dismiss such a reaction as rubbish, but also imply that a friends death was used as motivation to benefit financially.

One day I hope to reach a similar level of genius, until that happens I'm happy to give people the benefit of the doubt.

 

[dowie]

I think it's impossible to say how a person will react to the death of a housemate in their house until it happens, or even to establish what a "normal" reaction to that would be so that I can then decide whether it's reasonable or not to want to move out of the house.

Maybe you're quite young or have had a relatively sheltered life but people experience others close to them dying throughout life. People dying in houses is fairly common too, in fact it is probably second only to people dying in hospitals. It is an event experienced by people fairly regularly.

 

[Sudden]

Eh? A contract can be broken by the actions of landlords too Happens all the time.

Yes, but just because one party breaches a term of a contract, doesn't automatically mean the contract is suddenly invalid for the other party. The other party still needs to abide by the terms of the contract. The only difference is, they might also be able to sue the first party for the breach.

Two wrongs don't make a right and what not.

 

[Gogl]

I don't have a perversion of values to see him as a wonderful chap.

*cough cough*

Matthew 6:24
'No one can serve two masters. He will hate the one and love the other. You cannot serve both God and money.'

That someone was a bro,

Do me a favour.

they found him dead in their hovel they shared together, not even a druggy would want to stay there.

You don't mean, the spirit of the bro was too strong!?

The landlord is an evil Shylock going after his pound of flesh from the dead persons father and mother.

True, I thought it would have been the cat who was liable. Though I thought he waived that anyway.

 

[Caged]

Maybe you're quite young or have had a relatively sheltered life but people experience others close to them dying throughout life. People dying in houses is fairly common too, in fact it is probably second only to people dying in hospitals. It is an event experienced by people fairly regularly.

So you and I react differently to the people in this story. Does that mean they are somehow exaggerating the impact?

People dying in houses may be a regular occurrence, I'm not so convinced that a bunch of 19-21 year olds walking into a bedroom in a shared house to find a corpse is though.

 

[Tosno]

*cough cough*

I hope you haven't been in close contact with any Scottish nurses recently

 

[pepsilol]

They are uni students, of course they are going to act like kids - they pretty much are.

Lol, classifying 22 and 24 year olds as kids.

I am 24 and even I understand that under contract I'd still be expected to pay up if I decide to move out.

 

[Caged]

OK, that's great. Well done.

A huge proportion of the students I witnessed at uni would struggle with daily life. It stays the same even after they graduate and is a fairly common complaint from graduate employers.

 

[Tosno]

Lol, classifying 22 and 24 year olds as kids.

I am 24 and even I understand that under contract I'd still be expected to pay up if I decide to move out.

When you get over 30 and top of the mountain you will consider all under 30s as kids, young adults at best.

 

[dowie]

So you and I react differently to the people in this story. Does that mean they are somehow exaggerating the impact?

People dying in houses may be a regular occurrence, I'm not so convinced that a bunch of 19-21 year olds walking into a bedroom in a shared house to find a corpse is though.

That exact situation, no. But having someone close to you die when you're in your early 20s isn't unusual. Exaggerating the impact, no having someone close to you die can be very emotional - that doesn't necessarily translate to a *need* to move house and ditch your obligations.

I'd also add that all sorts of students suffer from different issues at university, plenty will drop out for various reasons including medical and/or mental health related ones... it doesn't usually mean they can just ignore their contracts either.

 

[Caged]

Maybe not for you. You seem to be unable to comprehend that the reaction from the two in the story might have been genuine.

 

[dowie]

Maybe not for you. You seem to be unable to comprehend that the reaction from the two in the story might have been genuine.

no, again that is sepearate - I don't doubt they were upset, I am suspect about the immediate need to move out but regardless of that, assuming for the sake of argument there is a 'need' to do that they're still obliged to pay the rent unless they can find themselves replacements (which could be hard for a student property). That is the sort of thing they and/or their parents or other relatives should be helping with if necessary not something the landlord should be taking a hit for - they genuinely *need* additional accommodation costing a few thousand, well they should stump up for it

 

[Caged]

I've not argued that they are legally in the right, I've just said that the landlord more than likely had the ability to accept their offer and leave it there.

I think we're going round in circles honestly. Is the landlord legally in the right? Probably. Does that mean he shouldn't be criticised for the way he's acted? Not at all.

 

[MichaelAwkward]

Yes, but just because one party breaches a term of a contract, doesn't automatically mean the contract is suddenly invalid for the other party. The other party still needs to abide by the terms of the contract. The only difference is, they might also be able to sue the first party for the breach.

Two wrongs don't make a right and what not.

Yes but in this case actions by the landlord that prevent the renters from living in the property would terminate the agreement. All of the rental agreements I've signed have clauses to that effect. It's pretty standard practise and would be ridiculous otherwise.

 

[Sudden]

Yes but in this case actions by the landlord that prevent the renters from living in the property would terminate the agreement. All of the rental agreements I've signed have clauses to that effect. It's pretty standard practise and would be ridiculous otherwise.

Perhaps, but that doesn't invalidate past obligations.

It's impossible to say without seeing exactly how the contract is worded and what the facts are. It is not open and shut as you seem to make it appear. If for instance they've already moved out, then he could be blame to more if he didn't renovate it in order to mitigate his loss and it wouldn't necessarily count against him.

 

[dowie]

I've not argued that they are legally in the right, I've just said that the landlord more than likely had the ability to accept their offer and leave it there.

I think we're going round in circles honestly. Is the landlord legally in the right? Probably. Does that mean he shouldn't be criticised for the way he's acted? Not at all.

but that is what is being discussed - whether he was reasonable or not... I've still not seen any good argument for why he should take a hit of a few thousand other than general emotional stuff about death being traumatizing