Advice about renting

[poppy160]

Hiya, I'm having a bit of a problem with the contract on my flat..well, not so much of a problem but advice is needed. We moved in in Feb this year, and signed a 6 month contract, which expired in August. The landlord went away in July for 9 weeks, he said he would come round beforehand in order for us to sign a new 6 month contract..which he didn't. Just after he went away I found out I was pregnant, the flat we're in is unsuitable as it has 6 flights of stairs and no lift, and doesn't allow children anyway, so obviously we want to move and have found a place which is available immediately. My problem is, the contract (which has now expired) states that we need to give the landlord 2 months notice if we want to leave if another contract hasn't been signed..the landlord has been away for the last 9 weeks and hasn't left a contact number so we haven't been able to contact hime to tell him. We can't give 2 months notice, or we'll never get a place and we can't afford to rent 2 places at the same time for 2 months. Do you think we should have to give 2 months notice still? Or would it be up to the landlord? Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated, thank you x

 

[jenna]

hmm im not sure, if you told him your pregnant maybe he'll be understanding and you let you off? going away for 9 weeks knowing you have to sort stuff like this out is stupid anyway, just say you tried to get in touch to give notice but got no answer?

 

[katyk]

do you need a reference from him or is the new place yours for the taking? Because otherwise I don't think he can bind you for 2 months if you haven't signed a current contract. I don't mean to be cheeky but do a runner and just go to the new place. He won't know where you've moved to, to chase it up.

 

[poppy160]

Jenna, you're right if he was a decent person he may let us off, it won't take long for out flat to be taken over cause it's cheap and convenient. We found out about the pregnancy after he went away so I suppose that's our fault..and he went to like, America or something so there was no way we could have contacted him anyway!! Argh

Katy, we don't need him as a reference..well, I don't think so. The place is ours, there is no other interest so if we look at it and want it tonight (which I think we will) then we will take it as soon as we know our rights with the current place. I suppose I could say I can't deal with the stairs anymore and we need to leave asap..I don't think we could run away cause the new flats only up the road lol! This sucks, we really want this new place, it's soo nice

 

[Manda&Thomas]

me and hubby had a simaler thing we to moved into a new place in feb had a 6 month contract but we have never heard anything from landlord and we could never get hold of them we finaly managed to get hold of them 2 weeks before contract was up and they told us it has been rolled over to a year one but we havent signed anything.
we to need to look for a new place as here isnt sutable either so im thinking aslong as nothing has been signed the contract doesnt stand
manda xx

 

[poppy160]

That cant be right! Look at your contract and see what it says, it seems like they're trying to screw you over!! 6 months is 6 months, cant be turned into a year just cause its convienient to them! Let me know how that goes!

 

[Manda&Thomas]

thats the thing they never answer the phones to us and when we go down there they say the people who deal with it aint in and everything its very odd indead.
we need to tell them that we will be paying the rent as of next month not the counsil as me and hubby both go back to work dunno how we are going to manage to get that across to them
manda xx

 

[trigger]

Can you not just say that you were prepared to give him 2 months notice as of say the 01st Aug but he wasn't available to accept - surely you cannot be penalised for him going awol and he will have to accept if retrospectively?

 

[Gem & Leland]

my contract ran out in june lol all i know that is they want us out , they have to give us 3 mnths notice again as its there fault they havent sorted contract ! but not sure what notice we have to give if we know want to move .


try cit advice ?

 

[leckershell]

I'd have a read of your original contract to see what it says re: moving out and how much notice to give. If it specifically says "if no further contract is signed then you have to give 2 months notice" etc then fair enough, you'll have to hope he's in a good mood. If it doesn't say that and it's only his verbal saying so, then it doesn't mean anything.

You could always ask if you could have the last month rent-free and him keep the deposit?

I wouldn't expect any sympathy for being pregnant etc as it's something he'll lose money on and no-one has sympathy when it's their money they stand to lose, but if you say you were unable to get hold of him then surely he'll have to accept that you wanted to hand in your notice while he was away.

I'm sure someone on here is a letting agent actually - libs?? - can't remember who. I don't know anything legal wise, so yeah citizens advice might be a good idea but sort it soonish or he's gonna wonder why you didn't tell him at earliest possible time.