If You Have Been Living In A Property, Have Not Signed A Contract Agreement Or Paid Any Rent. Are You Liable To Pay The Rent If It Is Requested?

[JBaines]

If I was to move out would I be liable in any way?

[factor-fiction]

YEs, I think you must have accepted something to be living there- unless you were clearly offered it free of charge or there was no reason to expect any charge

[tonywiltshire]

If as you say you have signed no agreement or paid no rent it would be very difficult to enforce anything as it would probably be considered an act of goodwill to permit you to stay but you would have very little security.

[IggyB]

It would depend on the reasons you are there (e.g. accommodation provided as part of your terms of employment, living with your parents, squatting etc).

Without knowing more I would say that in the absence of an agreement you would be liable to pay any future rent if the owner / landlord now requires it however rent for the period you have already stayed would not be enforceable.

[JBaines]

It is a student rental property to which we held a tenancy last year. It is under a new letting agent and our contract for last year expired last summer. I am unsure if we are liable for rent if we move out now?

[Peter Pedant]

ah then you HAVE signed a contact agreement [for last year]
and you have decided it doesnt apply to this [year]

TW can give you chapter and verse but (or however) it is likely to be in the category of a 'run-on lease'. 90% of leases in Manchester are run-on and so the bad news for you is that a judge would have little difficulty in finding it applies to you (they have had lots of practice, see).
and so rent would be payable. - until you move out.


Most people dont have difficulty with : 'if you stay in a place, you have to pay rent.'

are you in the category of 'squatting' ? No. You are in the category of a tenant who has not paid rent.

[IggyB]

I'm afraid I would tend to agree - you had a contract in place, if you did not want the contract to continue you could have given notice or moved out, you have not done those things so the contract is construed to still be active.

Alternatively as mentioned above this situation is probably covered in the lease e.g. rolling on at the end of the rental period. I would have a read of the agreement if I was you to check.

Either way I think you do ow the rent (as you presumably know you do e.g. nothing comes free)

[buildersmate]

If it was an assured shorthold tenancy (and most are), the contract automatically runs on at the end of the initial period until you submit a valid notice period, or the landlord evicts you, or both parties agree to surrender the tenancy.
So it is most likely that are under contract and hence will be liable for rent and arrears.
Best to take a long hard look at the original document you signed.