Students father staying at house

priscilla

Registered User
Messages
266
Hi,

I have a house rented out to students, most return year to year, lease runs from Sept to June. Some of the students stayed on over the Summer at a reduced rate but all signed new leases in Sept.
One of the students who had moved out during the Summer returned in Sept. His father comes and visits the house, a few occasions when his son was back home. Last week he stayed 3 days and 2 nights at the house while his son was not there. The other students in the house are not happy and informed their friend that this is not satisfactory which he disregarded.
Yesterday, the father was at the house when I made a planned visit.
I explained that the house was just for students and it was inappropriate that parents should stay. I later found out that he had copied keys to the house and he lets himself in and out whenever it suits.
I sent a text to his son explaining also to him that it was inappropriate that his father spent so much time there and the keys are for residents only. I found out to-day, the father stayed in his son's room and his son slept out on the sofa last night.

I'm wondering what to do now, the other students find the father very irritating and uncomfortable and they have been very tolerant up to now. I wonder should I issue him with a breach of contract statement as it is specified in my contract that copies of keys should not be made without my agreement. Any advice greatly appreciated.
 
Priscilla, you rent out your house to students. You get the rent, they get the accommodation. One student's father stays there every so often and he has copied the keys to come and stay as he pleases. The other rent paying students are not happy either. There are several risks here (a) somebody can be robbed by another occupier or even somebody with access to the key (b) When will the dad bring another adult non student to the house?

Your situation is a disaster waiting to happen. Students are not fools and I reckon they won't put up with another student's father staying there for long. Even students want some sort of privacy when away from home. It is only a matter of time before the parents of the other students are aware of an older adult using the house and if I was the parent, my son/daughter would be out of your house pretty fast and I would be looking for refund of deposits.

I advise you speak to the father, his son and the other tenants and inform them that you want the cessation of the dad staying with immediate effect. Otherwise you are courting problems.
 
Why does he stay there?

Before you do anything I'd talk to the RTB. Because legally you want to do the right thing. Renters are allowed after all to have 'guests' sleep over.

Like Leper said I can image the parents of the other students wouldn't be happy about this situation.

How did the student react to your text? It would be better face to face.
 
Tenants are allowed have occasional overnight guests. But making copies of keys is not on.

You need to talk to all your tenants together. Don't let the other students put you out on the front line alone to deal with this. They made the complaint so let them stand over it.
 
Thank you for your replies.

The students are all friends from home so it is a very difficult situation for the other students. They are very polite and in fairness to them they haven't actually formally complained to me. My son is one of the students and lives in the house so he has given me feedback on what is happening.

The particular student is an only child and his father has always travelled with him to make sure everything is in order. Generally this may occur 3-4 times a year. They travel by bus and due to the poor bus service times there is no way the father would be able to get there and back in the one day.
Since Sept. the father has travelled up much more frequently, orders some items for the son and waits and assembles whatever he has bought.
The son is on work experience so he no longer travels home every weekend. The father claims he brings things up from home for him and will be returning next week to bring his computer up. The father lets himself in while his son is at work and the other kids try their best to avoid the father as he talks a huge amount and they find it difficult to get away from him, they have to pretend to go to the bathroom to get away from him as if they go to their rooms he can often follow them there and keep talking.

Two of the boys approached the other boy but he didn't want to know.
I spoke with the father myself but I am not sure if it will make any difference.
The son was at work when I called , that was why I texted the son just to reiterate what I had said to the father.
I would like to keep this as amiable as possible.
I am not happy that he seems to be spending so much time there, I feel the age difference is totally inappropriate and I feel he has disrespected the other tenants.

I aim to contact PRTB on Monday. I wondered would it be an idea issuing the Breach of contract warning to them?
 
Bronte
How did the student react to your text? It would be better face to face.

He text me back saying that he had made the keys for himself and had just given them to his father to drop off stuff while he was at work, he apologised for not letting me know. He didn't make any reference to his father staying and spending so much time there.
 
Unhealthy relationship of a father not letting go. But the boy is financially, and emotionally dependant. That the boy doesn't even get the bus on his own at this age is unbelievable. He's between a rock and a hard place.

You're going to have to be more firm. He can't give keys, that's wrong, as is you visiting the house if you are a landlord without permission, just saying, but it's complicated because of your son.

Really the boy should rent a studio if his own. I would suggest this if I were you.
 
I agree Bronte, totally unhealthy relationship, too much parental interference.
In fairness, the boy is independant enough, he travels by bus himself and is now on his work placement which involves a bit of a journey.
The father seems to visit either when his son is at his childhood home or else to cart all his stuff up for him, he seems to be the very cherished apple. I think the father thinks he is paying for the room and if his son isn't there, why can't he stay ther, after all he has paid the rent. If he just came and stopped for a little while, I don't think anyone would have a problem, it's just that it seems to go on for days and nights at a time now. The father even came out of the room the other day to put on the heat without asking any of the others permission. The students pay for the oil themselves so mind it very carefully.
 
I had informed the students in advance I was coming to collect the rent and check a couple of things that needed sorting.
I spend very little time there, I generally just stay at the porch as I feel uncomfortable entering unless something needs fixing.
 
You need to stop this now. You are the landlord, you need to resolve the situation. You need to speak directly with the father. Tell him that he cannot stay, the others are uncomfortable with him, he is a mature adult the others are young students, it is totally inappropriate for him to be there. You need to be blunt and assertive. Demand that he return any keys he may have to you.

If you let this get out of hand it is you who will suffer.
 
I had informed the students in advance I was coming to collect the rent and check a couple of things that needed sorting.
I spend very little time there, I generally just stay at the porch as I feel uncomfortable entering unless something needs fixing.
I would respectfully suggest that you change the locks and issue new keys to all tenants with a warning in writing to all tenants that any copies made will entail the service of breach of contract with the result that the tenant involved may be liable to eviction.
 
I would respectfully suggest that you change the locks and issue new keys to all tenants with a warning in writing to all tenants that any copies made will entail the service of breach of contract with the result that the tenant involved may be liable to eviction.
When replacing the locks, get those security keys that can only be copied by the landlord/code holder, if they still exist?
 
Facetious I think your idea is great. But it will not stop the dad staying there if the son or the other tenants let him in. And it seems they are not brave enough to stand up to the man. So Priscially needs to be blunt as per Cremeeg's post.
 
he is a mature adult the others are young students, it is totally inappropriate for him to be there.
By the sounds of it they are university students and assuming they are 18 or over are also adults. The man might be a complete bore, but 'totally inappropriate' is overstretching the mark.

It's not your job as Landlord to worry about this man's relationship with his son. Whilst tenants are allowed have guests, if the son is not present the father is not therefore a guest; and additional sets of keys are not on.

If you've already spoken to father, but with no improvement; you'll need to warn tenant that he is in breach of his lease.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jim
Valid points, yes, the students are probably between 20 and 22.
I have spoken already to the father and I am hoping things will improve.
If not, I will send a breach of contract notification to the student. I'm hoping it will resolve itself now that something has been said.
I don't particularly want to get into policing who can come and stay and who can't as I believe the students can have friends or girlfriends or whatever stay as long as everyone in the house is comfortable with it. I guess the problem is here, the other students aren't happy about it.
I will reevaluate the situation over the coming weeks.
 
Back
Top