landlord/friend going back on his word

[rowry]

my landlord is also a friend of mine, well was. i started renting his house, he said to me i could rent it for a minimum of 6 months, but he said that on the contract he had to put 12 months on it but don't worry about (silly me). I've just found a house to buy sorted the mortgage out then went to him giving 2 months notification, i've been there 7 months so that would bump it up to 9 months. he then said what about our contract and has denied everything.I know what everyone is thinking, silly cow. But i thought he was a friend. If he can't find anyone in the two months i cannot afford to pay him plus my mortgage. HELP

[Noweia]

Advertise and see if you can get someone in for the period?

[woofgang]

sounds like he's not a friend....Have you got any proof of what he said? if you have, maybe the cab could help. If you have no friend, you might just have to take the lesson and move on unless you can find a sub let

[acw]

I could give you unqualified and thus uninsured legal advice if I could see the contract.  (I have a law degree, study the subject at masters, have worked for several law firms and a Legal Advice Centre, but I am not a qualified lawyer)  You may be able to find a way out.  However AB don't let us swap email addresses or phone numbers so I suggest going to the CAB. 

 

Finally and most importantly - don't feel stupid!!!  The number of people who make a similar mistake is HUGE.  Contracting with a friend is one sort of mistake, particularly as you then tend to let your guard down.  However think of all the people who go into business with a friend and then plunged personal assets into it and fallen out and been in real trouble.  I'm not saying you don't have a problem - I'm trying to encourage you that you are NOT stupid! :-)

[Nickienickie]

HI .. he sounds like he's a money grabbing landlord ... as most of us are !!! I'm sure if you offered to put in ads and help with finding a tenant that it should soften the 'blow' as it were. The cost to him of taking it to the small claims court, I would have thought, would be prohibitive to him taking it further. You could always check he's doing the landlord thing legally .. does the mortgage co know he's renting, does the freeholder know he's renting out a property ? If he's prepared to pull a nasty one on you then arm yourself to pull no punches with him ..

[buchanan]

Just move out.  Like Nickienickie says the cost of going through small claims will put him off plus I wonder if he has declared the income to the inland revenue.  It makes me want to spit when reasonable people are bullied by unreasonable behaviour.  Stuff him. 

[brachiopod]

Aswell as declaring to the Inland Revenue and advising the Mortgage lender that you are commercially letting  the property (as mentioned above), insurance rates will also differ between owner occupied and let properties.(This would mean that his buildings insurance would technically be invalid.)

How you subtly mention these things to him is up to you. But if he's going to be a complete tight-�rsed git over the remaining three months of the 'contract' when you have given an entirely reasonable two months notice, then b�ll�cks to him. He deserves all he gets!!

Good luck, rowry.