Living with the landlord or not?

[auntieaggy]

Need some advice. A friend of mine moved into a houseshare over a year ago having searched a room to rent on the internet. It was described as all inclusive rent, the deposit was paid and everyone was happy. They became friends. I later find out that there was never any agreement been signed, that my friend was asked to pay council tax even though this was meant to be inclusive in the rent (and nothing in writing), there is barely any heating in the property and my friend is having to share her bedroom between herself and the excessive mould. The person that my friend shares/lives with takes liberties in the usage of the internet and sky which is in my friends name, on quite a few occassions my friend has been told by the person she lives with that they have no money. My friend has now has been given a months notice to leave with no mention in the return of deposit. where does my friend stand? will she be able to get her deposit back? and if you are renting out a room/houseshare dont you have to inform the Inland Revenue as a second income?

[Ethel]

Regarding the IR - if the rent from the lodger is below �4250 per annum it is tax free:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefit s/Taxes/TaxOnPropertyAndRentalIncome/DG_401780 4

However, you can't possibly know if the IR has been informed or not.

She should get her deposit back.

[Chellebelle3]

Hi

I am no lawyer but as I understand it you are entitled to with hold your rent to a landlord if repairs that need to be carried out are not being done. However if the matter goes to court then you have to prove that you have that money to pay the landlord on completion of the repairs. Just inform your landlord that it is your intention to with hold rent until such time as repairs have been carried out to a satisfactory standard. Also you can contact the enviroment agency on the matter of the mould and if need be they will intervine and serve orders against him

If the month is up and you still have that months rent then that is your deposit back.

Should the landlord not pay you your deposit back you are entitled to take him to court for the amount you feel he owes you. You will need to have evidence of what your room and accomodation was like when you moved out of the property and that no damage was caused by you in the time that you were there. Maybe handy to take pics now and then on the day of the move to prove that it is in the same conditon. In the same respect the landlord also has to prove that you caused

Hope this helps