# Rent a Room Scheme - Notice



## Louise (16 Jul 2007)

Hi

I'm renting out a room in my apartment under the rent a room scheme. I know I have to give tenants reasonable notice if I want them to leave but  what happens if they want to leave? Do they have to give notice? I've looked on loads of websites but can't find anything.

Thanks


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## niceoneted (16 Jul 2007)

I did this and when they were moving in I explained I would give 1 months notice if I were asking them to move out for any reason and that I expected one months notice from them. Do they pay weekly or monthly? How long have they been in the house.


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## Louise (17 Jul 2007)

8 months. What happened was that I asked them to move out first and told them to take as long as they needed to find a new place - more than resonable notice in my opinion.This was on Friday. Then on Sunday one of them said there was no point in staying any longer if I didn't want her there and moved out. She wasn't even going to tell me! I just met her on her way out with a suitcase. The problem is that rent is due this week. I know I probably don't have a leg to stand on legally but I feel a bit left in the lurch. I wouldn't go chasing her for rent anyway but it is quite annoying. But in her opinion I'm completely in the wrong as I didn't want her there anymore.

I think we had discussed notice and said one month from either side but we didn't write it down in the rules stupidly enough.


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## pinkyBear (17 Jul 2007)

Hi Louise I have rented rooms under the rent a room scheme for about 3 years now (both long and short term) , every so often we have met fab people - still in touch, and every other time we have met heart aches. 

Advice is... move on,  have a look at gumtree.ie if you are interested in a short tem let.. some of our most sucessfull letting has been short term...


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## pc7 (17 Jul 2007)

had she not paid a deposit which will cover the rent?


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## bb1 (17 Jul 2007)

I was in a similiar position to you a few yrs ago, rent a room tenant moving out without giving much notice. I contacted threshold at the time and as a rent a room landlord you are entitled to a "reasonable" notice period.  But Threshold said, the reasonable notice period can be anything from a few days to even a day, seems to be very much swayed in favour of the tenant rights...

More info here 
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/c...t_a_room_scheme/?searchterm=rent a room#rules
 
"This also means that private tenants living in your principal home are living under a "Licensee Agreement" *not* a tenancy agreement and are really only entitled to "reasonable notice" if you choose to terminate the agreement. Tenants are, however, entitled to refer disputes regarding periods of reasonable notice, retention of deposits, and disputes regarding deductions from rent for damage to property that is over and above normal "wear and tear" to the Small Claims Court. "


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## Louise (31 Jul 2007)

Hi again. Our other tenant has moved out too, but both have left quite a few belongings all over the bedroom and bathroom. They still have one key, which they refuse to give back til they've cleared their stuff. We can't show the place to anyone else and need to get someone in soon. Would it be unreasonable to expect rent until they've moved their stuff out?


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## serotoninsid (31 Jul 2007)

Louise said:


> Hi again. Our other tenant has moved out too, but both have left quite a few belongings all over the bedroom and bathroom. They still have one key, which they refuse to give back til they've cleared their stuff. We can't show the place to anyone else and need to get someone in soon. Would it be unreasonable to expect rent until they've moved their stuff out?


If they have keys and stuff in the rooms, they're renting them.  Stick up some ads and work on getting some tenants (assuming thats what you want). As regards deposits - I would only be returning whats left over after bills are covered (i assume there were shared bills?? ie. esb/phone/heating/tv license, etc.).  If you had a clear agreement with one or both of them to give a months notice, then stick to that.  Get the locks changed. You might not want to do this but for peace of mind, it would be best.  You can always swap them back again whenever the next wave of tenants move out.
Might sound a bit harsh but i think they're not being fair with you.
The silver lining is that now that the two are going at the same time, you only have to go through the process of advertising once to replace them both..


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## pc7 (1 Aug 2007)

change the locks so they don't have a key and only give back the deposit they are entitled too. I wouldn't want someone with a key to my house what if they go in when you aren't there??


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## nelly (1 Aug 2007)

no offence intended but.... might there be any reason why your tennants are treating you in this way leaving you in the lurch like this? Maybe you are not cut out to be the owner occupier, just a thought. 
I say thsi because i used to rent with others under this scheme the 2 of us left and never wanted to see or hear from the landlord again who treated us like unwanted (paying) guests in his home - he was a nice guy but completely treated us badly and i don't know why he was so shocked we have him the notice and left. 
I doubt yer man will not give you the key back and seriously doubt you need to change locks


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## Louise (1 Aug 2007)

We definitely didn't treat them badly. When we first asked them to move out they were a little upset, and said they absolutely loved living here and didn't want to leave. The rent was very low, we gave them a TV in their room and I left my laptop in the main room so they could use it whenever they wanted (with wireless internet). They're definitely only angry because we asked them to leave.

I think the problem was that we were friends before they moved in and they were annoyed that we asked them to leave after only eight months. This was why we told them to take as long as they needed to find a new place. We're not going to change the locks or anything, though I would if it was someone I didn't know so well. The situation has become tense enough. We're going to let the rent drop as when we contacted them about it we received some very irate replies. It's awkward because our low mortgage rate ends this month but that's the risk you take when changing tenants. I wouldn't rent to friends again though. Too much strife on both sides.

I don't think they'd keep the key or anything, it is just to move their stuff out.


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## serotoninsid (2 Aug 2007)

Louise said:


> When we first asked them to move out they were a little upset, and said they absolutely loved living here and didn't want to leave.


 Must have misread your initial posts - didn't realise you had given them notice. But you have an interest in getting new tenants in to replace them. Therefore, there must have been some issues??



Louise said:


> I don't think they'd keep the key or anything, it is just to move their stuff out.


 I still maintain that if they're keeping stuff in your rooms, then they're still renting. If they've moved out, then keys have been returned, bills sorted out, anything above and beyond 'wear n' tear' accounted for and deposit refunded. 
In your case, I wouldn't be returning the deposit under these circumstances. Its different where everyones being reasonable - and if they've been sound as tenants past and present, it would be common courtesy to let them go with a lesser notice period - provided they accomodated you in getting someone else in by way of leaving the room in a viewable state.



			
				nelly said:
			
		

> i used to rent with others under this scheme the 2 of us left and never wanted to see or hear from the landlord again who treated us like unwanted (paying) guests in his home - he was a nice guy but completely treated us badly


 Sorry to hear you had a bad experience but having rented for years and now renting out myself, its a two way street. Two of my three tenants are sound - absolutely no problems. The other ones another story. Two golden rules in renting - pay your rent on time and leave the place as you got it - concepts he doesnt care for. I don't understand why people stay where they're not happy!


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## pc7 (2 Aug 2007)

moral of the story never mix friends and money its always a bad situation


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## Purple (2 Aug 2007)

pc7 said:


> moral of the story never mix friends and money its always a bad situation


Very good advice. Never do business with anyone you don't want to fall out with.


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## Louise (2 Aug 2007)

> But you have an interest in getting new tenants in to replace them. Therefore, there must have been some issues??



Nothing major. They weren't terrible tenants or anything. Just that we've alot of studying to do after work so needed lots of quiet while for the other two it was their first time living away from home and they wanted to have fun. Understandable really as we're all still in our early twenties. It didn't make us the most compatible, although there were no fights over it. It was a minor annoyance that was always there. We think we'd be better off just renting to one person, preferably one who's studying as well.

Also, one of them took up smoking a few months after moving in. Never inside, always on the balcony but the smell still wafted in. Another minor annoyance but we never wanted to live with smokers. We never said anything about it at the time of moving in as we didn't think it would become an issue.




> I still maintain that if they're keeping stuff in your rooms, then they're still renting.



I agree but in the interests of preserving what's left of our friendship we're just going to leave it. One of them seemed to think that we'd  said it was fine to leave stuff there as long they wanted, rent free. I'm sure we didn't but it _may_ have been a misunderstanding - we told the first tenant it was fine to leave stuff there as long as the second tenant was still renting the room. I wouldn't have minded them leaving boxes in a corner but there's stuff piled on every available surface and all over the floor. 



> moral of the story never mix friends and money its always a bad situation



You're absolutely right. It was our first time renting out the room and we thought it'd be fine. I guess you learn with experience (And I should listen to people before I make these mistakes)


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