Disposing of a lodger's belongings
Discussion
The situation is that a friend (not a close friend) was going through a separation and needed somewhere to stay. Having a spare room available I offered it to her for 2 weeks at no charge, and then on an ongoing basis for a couple of months for a small amount of rent (£100/week) if she needed it.
She turned out to be nightmare:
- started moving my furniture out of the room and just dumping it in the hallway without asking
- moved in a heap of things including her own furniture (room looked like a storage unit)
- invited her tinder dates around to stay without checking that it would be ok
- etc etc, I could go on for days...
Not really the way I'd expect someone to behave.
Anyway, the situation resolved itself before I kicked her out when she found somewhere to rent and promptly vanished.
Now I've got a room full of her junk and she still has my spare keys. I asked nicely several times for her to collect it and clear the room out, which she agreed to do and then didn't show up and do it, several times. Now she's been asked not so nicely, and is ignoring. She was last seen here 2 weeks ago.
So the question is, will I be doing anything illegal (or unreasonable) by binning the small things she's left (clothing and various trinkets), advertising her furniture "free, collection only" and getting rid of it myself?
As for my keys, I guess I'll just have to write them off.
She turned out to be nightmare:
- started moving my furniture out of the room and just dumping it in the hallway without asking
- moved in a heap of things including her own furniture (room looked like a storage unit)
- invited her tinder dates around to stay without checking that it would be ok
- etc etc, I could go on for days...
Not really the way I'd expect someone to behave.
Anyway, the situation resolved itself before I kicked her out when she found somewhere to rent and promptly vanished.
Now I've got a room full of her junk and she still has my spare keys. I asked nicely several times for her to collect it and clear the room out, which she agreed to do and then didn't show up and do it, several times. Now she's been asked not so nicely, and is ignoring. She was last seen here 2 weeks ago.
So the question is, will I be doing anything illegal (or unreasonable) by binning the small things she's left (clothing and various trinkets), advertising her furniture "free, collection only" and getting rid of it myself?
As for my keys, I guess I'll just have to write them off.
I think I'd message on all platforms (facebook, text, email & call) stating that she has ** days to remove the property or you will be doing it for her to the tip as you've had them for so long.
If no reply then dispose of how you wish, Charity shop will come collect it all tbh.
As for keys change your locks asap as she could empty your stuff with hers, massive security risk.
If no reply then dispose of how you wish, Charity shop will come collect it all tbh.
As for keys change your locks asap as she could empty your stuff with hers, massive security risk.
I think the process for apparently abandoned property can be as follows: Charge a reasonably daily/weekly/monthly storage fee, then sell/dispose of the property once its value exceeds the outstanding amount. If the property is essentially worthless to sell then this is quite a quick process.
Kev_Mk3 said:
I think I'd message on all platforms (facebook, text, email & call) stating that she has ** days to remove the property or you will be doing it for her to the tip as you've had them for so long.
If no reply then dispose of how you wish, Charity shop will come collect it all tbh.
As for keys change your locks asap as she could empty your stuff with hers, massive security risk.
This. 14 days to remove.If no reply then dispose of how you wish, Charity shop will come collect it all tbh.
As for keys change your locks asap as she could empty your stuff with hers, massive security risk.
I'm not sure if there are different laws for tenants, or former tenants, but with unclaimed property in rental vehicles we would notify them in writing that they had a month to collect it or we would dispose of it.
As long as we could demonstrate that we had acted reasonably, the few issues that we did have over the years were found in our favour.
As long as we could demonstrate that we had acted reasonably, the few issues that we did have over the years were found in our favour.
Strewth man- change the locks and change them now!
I used to have lodgers (14 in total - not all at once!), and after the 3rd one (a troublesome female), I kept spare front door locks in stock - just in case.
As stated, your insurance company will not be friendly should things go missing.
Was she a tenant? or more likely it sounds like a lodger. Lodgers are a guest in your home and have almost nothing in the way of rights. Tenants – it’s a different ball game.
While you do nothing but requests, she will provide excuses, what she does eventually do, you would rather she hadn’t... she has already proven she’s capable of that.
All the above actions listed by others sound perfectly reasonable to me.
Hint for all potential male landlords getting female lodgers – don't be swayed by chest size/leg length/arse pertness…. There lie problems…
I used to have lodgers (14 in total - not all at once!), and after the 3rd one (a troublesome female), I kept spare front door locks in stock - just in case.
As stated, your insurance company will not be friendly should things go missing.
Was she a tenant? or more likely it sounds like a lodger. Lodgers are a guest in your home and have almost nothing in the way of rights. Tenants – it’s a different ball game.
While you do nothing but requests, she will provide excuses, what she does eventually do, you would rather she hadn’t... she has already proven she’s capable of that.
All the above actions listed by others sound perfectly reasonable to me.
Hint for all potential male landlords getting female lodgers – don't be swayed by chest size/leg length/arse pertness…. There lie problems…
KungFuPanda said:
Was she fit?
Before I found out what she was really like, maybe. Now that I know, not so much. Funny how that works!I live here with my girlfriend though - and she's more her friend than mine, so that wasn't the reason. I've been through a separation myself and know that it's a tough time and that I was reliant on my friends to help me out, so I wanted to do the same for someone else in the same situation. Keep the karma well balanced and all that!
Rick101 said:
People make life hard for themselves.
1. Don't put yourself out helping others out unless you KNOW they'll act appropriately
2. Take it to wherever she is and dump it there. A hassle I know but you don't want it on your own driveway and crazy turning up and making a scene.
Lesson one has been fully learned. I'll not be having this happen again.1. Don't put yourself out helping others out unless you KNOW they'll act appropriately
2. Take it to wherever she is and dump it there. A hassle I know but you don't want it on your own driveway and crazy turning up and making a scene.
bucksmanuk said:
Strewth man- change the locks and change them now!
I used to have lodgers (14 in total - not all at once!), and after the 3rd one (a troublesome female), I kept spare front door locks in stock - just in case.
As stated, your insurance company will not be friendly should things go missing.
Was she a tenant? or more likely it sounds like a lodger. Lodgers are a guest in your home and have almost nothing in the way of rights. Tenants – it’s a different ball game.
While you do nothing but requests, she will provide excuses, what she does eventually do, you would rather she hadn’t... she has already proven she’s capable of that.
All the above actions listed by others sound perfectly reasonable to me.
Hint for all potential male landlords getting female lodgers – don't be swayed by chest size/leg length/arse pertness…. There lie problems…
She was definitely not a tenant - the agreement was one between friends and was for a fixed temporary basis while she sorted herself out. I've got that in writing from when we agreed on the arrangement. Maybe she thought she was a tenant... I used to have lodgers (14 in total - not all at once!), and after the 3rd one (a troublesome female), I kept spare front door locks in stock - just in case.
As stated, your insurance company will not be friendly should things go missing.
Was she a tenant? or more likely it sounds like a lodger. Lodgers are a guest in your home and have almost nothing in the way of rights. Tenants – it’s a different ball game.
While you do nothing but requests, she will provide excuses, what she does eventually do, you would rather she hadn’t... she has already proven she’s capable of that.
All the above actions listed by others sound perfectly reasonable to me.
Hint for all potential male landlords getting female lodgers – don't be swayed by chest size/leg length/arse pertness…. There lie problems…
I actual think in hindsight (and correlating with other behaviours I hadn't previously paid much attention to) she's actually just a massive narcissist. Lesson learned.
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