Exploitation Of Students

[Arthur Little]

Whilst shopping yesterday afternoon, my wife and I happened to spot two young Filipinas. As I was browsing, Myrna struck up a conversation with them. It transpired they were nursing students currently on a work-experience placement at a residential care home for the elderly, located close to where we live.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is, they and a friend [also Filipina] shared the occupancy of a tenement flat - again, not so very far from our home - rented to them on a monthly basis by a certain ?Islamic gentleman, whom they referred to as 'Mohammed ... something or other. In accordance with the terms of lease, they'd been initially required to stump up one "grand" - comprising £500 deposit and the same amount for a month's advance rental.
Fair enough! But when they came to use the washing machine, they discovered it wouldn't function. Even worse [in the light of the recent low temperatures in Scotland] the heating system turned out to be faulty. On reporting these important defects to their landlord, he agreed to arrange for an electrician to inspect the wiring system with a view to carrying out any repairs needed. However when, after 2 weeks, no remedial action had been taken, the girls informed the landlord they would prefer to move out rather than endure further hardship, and were told that the terms of their contract prohibited them from vacating the flat without adequate notice.

Now, to my mind, the onus is surely on the landlord to ensure that any property he lets out is of a standard fit for habitation. Clearly, in this case, that criteria is not being met. And, therefore, it is HE who is in 'Breach of Contract'. I suggested the girls contact Citizens' Advice and then, as an afterthought, wondered whether they'd be entitled to do so given the fact they're here as foreign nationals on student visas. In the end, Myrna and I gave them a note of our phone number, as we'd really like to help. Is there anything we can do?

[bornatbirth]

a good landlord will look after his tenants!

but he can do whatever he wants sadly,before you rent check everything works ok before you move in?

[Alan]

Would have to see the wording of the 'lease' - if indeed it exists. However, tenants do have a lot more 'rights' than they used to have when, for example, I was at University. Got ripped off left right and centre!!

Al.

[Jay&Zobel]

Whilst shopping yesterday afternoon, my wife and I happened to spot two young Filipinas. As I was browsing, Myrna struck up a conversation with them. It transpired they were nursing students currently on a work-experience placement at a residential care home for the elderly, located close to where we live.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is, they and a friend [also Filipina] shared the occupancy of a tenement flat - again, not so very far from our home - rented to them on a monthly basis by a certain ?Islamic gentleman, whom they referred to as 'Mohammed ... something or other. In accordance with the terms of lease, they'd been initially required to stump up one "grand" - comprising £500 deposit and the same amount for a month's advance rental.
Fair enough! But when they came to use the washing machine, they discovered it wouldn't function. Even worse [in the light of the recent low temperatures in Scotland] the heating system turned out to be faulty. On reporting these important defects to their landlord, he agreed to arrange for an electrician to inspect the wiring system with a view to carrying out any repairs needed. However when, after 2 weeks, no remedial action had been taken, the girls informed the landlord they would prefer to move out rather than endure further hardship, and were told that the terms of their contract prohibited them from vacating the flat without adequate notice.

Now, to my mind, the onus is surely on the landlord to ensure that any property he lets out is of a standard fit for habitation. Clearly, in this case, that criteria is not being met. And, therefore, it is HE who is in 'Breach of Contract'. I suggested the girls contact Citizens' Advice and then, as an afterthought, wondered whether they'd be entitled to do so given the fact they're here as foreign nationals on student visas. In the end, Myrna and I gave them a note of our phone number, as we'd really like to help. Is there anything we can do?

Hopefully they will be able to resolve the issue... and thanks to you & Myrna for offering them help if needed

[ebony]

Hope they can solve their problem.Some landlord's dont really care about their tenants.
My husband got filipina tenants who are on a student visa. They arrived in these country about 4 months ago but they were not happy with their previous house because they were scared of the young students (from this country) that they shared the house with.They bang the filipinas bedroom door whenever they get drunk.
In their previous house they were also sharing one bedroom but were charged the usual price for 1 bedroom each.Wasn't fair at all.
My husband let these filipinas rent his house without deposit and reduced the rent for them coz he knew how much the students get paid for.We provided them almost everything (furniture,cutlery,kitchen utensils,bedding, etc.) they needed when they moved in because they were just new in this country.

[Arthur Little]

a good landlord will look after his tenants!

but he can do whatever he wants sadly,before you rent check everything works ok before you move in?

Yes, yes, agreed. And a decent landlord WILL! But I still maintain it's HIS responsibility to check that all appliances are in working order - especially the heating system - and if they aren't, then repairs ought to be undertaken BEFORE the premises are rented out in the first place.

As Alan says, tenants' rights have come a long way since his student days, but nevertheless, there remains much room for improvement. In these days of student loans, top-up fees &c - and the ever-increasing number of young people attending higher education establishments [frequently on a 'shoestring budget] - many (including those born in the UK) are being forced to live away from home ... often in substandard accommodation ... and, until someone in authority steps in to put a stop to the unscrupulous dealings of people like Mr Mohammed somebody or other, such youngsters will continue to be exploited.

[Arthur Little]

Hope they can solve their problem.Some landlord's dont really care about their tenants.
My husband got filipina tenants who are on a student visa. They arrived in these country about 4 months ago but they were not happy with their previous house because they were scared of the young students (from this country) that they shared the house with.They bang the filipinas bedroom door whenever they get drunk.
In their previous house they were also sharing one bedroom but were charged the usual price for 1 bedroom each.Wasn't fair at all.
My husband let these filipinas rent his house without deposit and reduced the rent for them coz he knew how much the students get paid for.We provided them almost everything (furniture,cutlery,kitchen utensils,bedding, etc.) they needed when they moved in because they were just new in this country.

So do I! Many thanks for your supportive post. I'm sorry to read of the plight of your husband's Filipina tenants as a result of the unruly behaviour of the group of British students they shared their accommodation with. Also, it infuriates me to hear about the malpractice of their previous landlord/landlady.

May I add that your husband is to be commended for his honesty and generous spirit. I wish there were a lot more people like him.

[aromulus]

So do I! Many thanks for your supportive post. I'm sorry to read of the plight of your husband's Filipina tenants as a result of the unruly behaviour of the group of British students they shared their accommodation with. Also, it infuriates me to hear about the malpractice of their previous landlord/landlady.

May I add that your husband is to be commended for his honesty and generous spirit. I wish there were a lot more people like him.

If there is gas heating in the house, the landlord is obliged by law, to have the appliances checked by a registered corgi installer, once a year minimum.
At the end, he would be issued with a pass or fail certificate, if the appliances are not fixed the local council can take steps, or so I believe.
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998

Gas safety is another important issue that you need to take care of as a landlord. You need to ensure that all gas appliances such as boilers and ovens are fully maintained and inspected for their safety and suitability.

http://www.accommodationseek.co.uk/F...ligations.html

http://www.lettings-landlords.co.uk/info/sec_11.html

Pretty straightforward really

[Dedworth]

If there is gas heating in the house, the landlord is obliged by law, to have the appliances checked by a registered corgi installer, once a year minimum.
At the end, he would be issued with a pass or fail certificate, if the appliances are not fixed the local council can take steps, or so I believe.
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998

Gas safety is another important issue that you need to take care of as a landlord. You need to ensure that all gas appliances such as boilers and ovens are fully maintained and inspected for their safety and suitability.

http://www.accommodationseek.co.uk/F...ligations.html

http://www.lettings-landlords.co.uk/info/sec_11.html

Pretty straightforward really

This rogue landlord needs reporting to the local council. I'd also contact HM Revenue & Customs to ensure they are aware he is renting properties out and he is meeting tax/vat obligations -

Freepost address:

HMRC Intelligence
Centre for Research and Intelligence
Freepost NAT22785
Cardiff CF14 5GX


Tel 0800 788 887

[IainBusby]

If there is gas heating in the house, the landlord is obliged by law, to have the appliances checked by a registered corgi installer, once a year minimum.
At the end, he would be issued with a pass or fail certificate, if the appliances are not fixed the local council can take steps, or so I believe.
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998

Gas safety is another important issue that you need to take care of as a landlord. You need to ensure that all gas appliances such as boilers and ovens are fully maintained and inspected for their safety and suitability.

http://www.accommodationseek.co.uk/F...ligations.html

http://www.lettings-landlords.co.uk/info/sec_11.html

Pretty straightforward really

But if your name is Mohammed you can always say "no understand" and then scream "racial discrimination" if anyone has the audacity to try and prosecute you for not complying with the law.

This might appear on the face of it to be a bit of a racial slur on my part, but after hearing about such things from a couple of friends of mine, one a local authority environmental health officer and the other a local authority planning officer, I now believe that it's just par for the course in this wonderful country of ours these days.

Iain.

[Dedworth]

But if your name is Mohammed you can always say "no understand" and then scream "racial discrimination" if anyone has the audacity to try and prosecute you for not complying with the law.

This might appear on the face of it to be a bit of a racial slur on my part, but after hearing about such things from a couple of friends of mine, one a local authority environmental health officer and the other a local authority planning officer, I now believe that it's just par for the course in this wonderful country of ours these days.

Iain.

I agree 100%

[aromulus]

But if your name is Mohammed you can always say "no understand" and then scream "racial discrimination" if anyone has the audacity to try and prosecute you for not complying with the law.

This might appear on the face of it to be a bit of a racial slur on my part, but after hearing about such things from a couple of friends of mine, one a local authority environmental health officer and the other a local authority planning officer, I now believe that it's just par for the course in this wonderful country of ours these days.

Iain.

I agree 100%

Personally I am of the strong opinion that if one does nothing to integrate or doesn't want to integrate with the local population, or bother to learn the language of the host country, or doesn't obey or respect the law of the land, then he/she doesn't deserve the privilege to live there.

[Dedworth]

Personally I am of the strong opinion that if one does nothing to integrate or doesn't want to integrate with the local population, or bother to learn the language of the host country, or doesn't obey or respect the law of the land, then he/she doesn't deserve the privilege to live there.

Strong words but 100% correct. Would be deleted from a lot of forums, I'm new but hope your sentiments remain online here

[aromulus]

Strong words but 100% correct. Would be deleted from a lot of forums, I'm new but hope your sentiments remain online here

I meant every word of it.

I am Italian and have had the privilege of sharing the good and the bad times of this country for 34 years.
I bothered to learn and improve my english language skills, I follow the letter of the law and obey the rules, although I have to admit that I am not perfect and I have a couple of speeding offences to my name.

And I brought my children up, as british citizens made with italian parts....
The only difference is that they don't see the need to get plastered on a night out and puke their kebabs on the pavements....

[pennybarry]

Whilst shopping yesterday afternoon, my wife and I happened to spot two young Filipinas. As I was browsing, Myrna struck up a conversation with them. It transpired they were nursing students currently on a work-experience placement at a residential care home for the elderly, located close to where we live.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is, they and a friend [also Filipina] shared the occupancy of a tenement flat - again, not so very far from our home - rented to them on a monthly basis by a certain ?Islamic gentleman, whom they referred to as 'Mohammed ... something or other. In accordance with the terms of lease, they'd been initially required to stump up one "grand" - comprising £500 deposit and the same amount for a month's advance rental.
Fair enough! But when they came to use the washing machine, they discovered it wouldn't function. Even worse [in the light of the recent low temperatures in Scotland] the heating system turned out to be faulty. On reporting these important defects to their landlord, he agreed to arrange for an electrician to inspect the wiring system with a view to carrying out any repairs needed. However when, after 2 weeks, no remedial action had been taken, the girls informed the landlord they would prefer to move out rather than endure further hardship, and were told that the terms of their contract prohibited them from vacating the flat without adequate notice.

Now, to my mind, the onus is surely on the landlord to ensure that any property he lets out is of a standard fit for habitation. Clearly, in this case, that criteria is not being met. And, therefore, it is HE who is in 'Breach of Contract'. I suggested the girls contact Citizens' Advice and then, as an afterthought, wondered whether they'd be entitled to do so given the fact they're here as foreign nationals on student visas. In the end, Myrna and I gave them a note of our phone number, as we'd really like to help. Is there anything we can do?

I have also met 2 filipinas in Edinburgh. The one was sharing flat with EU nationals and the other one filipina was sharing with black origin. They were both not happy living with other nationals so I advised them to contact each other and be friends. They met each other and look for a flat to share together. I have visited them 3 weeks ago in Edinburgh and they seems very happy now.

Better for them to find a flat.

[adam&chryss]

Personally I am of the strong opinion that if one does nothing to integrate or doesn't want to integrate with the local population, or bother to learn the language of the host country, or doesn't obey or respect the law of the land, then he/she doesn't deserve the privilege to live there.

That is the most sensible things i`ve heard anybody say for a long time.
Sounds like the Sri Lankan post master that lost his job.
None of the supposed "good" muslims backed him with his idea.
Lets hope that whatever party wins the next election will change the immigration rules and stop the nonsense going on around us.

[Arthur Little]

we'd STILL really like to help ...

... the group of young Filipina nursing students whose plight we drew attention to back in April. As I mentioned at the time, they live AND work fairly close to our home and, despite giving them our phone number, we hadn't heard from them since in order to impart the benefit of the very useful advice relayed to us on this forum. By the same token, we did not feel it would be appropriate to contact them at their workplace, and consequently, came to the conclusion we'd done all we could to help.

However, we happened to bump into one of the girls in the High Street yesterday afternoon. It seems that she and her three flatmates had continued to "shiver in *silence" *[apart from the "chattering" of their teeth] throughout the long, draughty month of May - as a result of there being no further attempts made by their landlord to have the faulty heating system fixed. Conversely, the sudden, soaring "mercury" rise over the past few days has brought to light a further pressing problem, i.e., inadequate ventilation - leading in turn, to a build-up of overpowering stuffiness - exacerbated by stale cooking odours.

Thoroughly sickened by the seemingly callous attitude of their landlord, the girls had again informed him they'd received the offer of another flat for rental ...only to be spun the same yarn about them having already signed the lease for one year. But this time with a added twist ... HE could report THEM to the Immigration Authorities because, according to the law [here] four of them were living in "overcrowded conditions" and hence ran the risk of being deported.

I suggested they accompany us to the local council headquarters where I spoke on their behalf, to one of the Environmental Health people. After lengthy discussion, it was agreed to post some relevant literature on Tenants' Rights to the girls' address. Otherwise, the department's "hands were tied"!! Not an altogether satisfactory outcome. And, I might add that, in my experience, Perth & Kinross Council is not exactly the most helpful of Scottish local authorities. So, short of paying a [not so social] call on Mr Mohammed something or other, of A & S Properties, myself, we're no further forward at this point in time.

[cheesewiz]

I know how it feels bec i experienced that when me and 2 of my filipina friend shared a house together. We're new here have no absolutely idea about renting system here in UK. Everything in the house is in our landlord's name. We're paying him extra £20/month for the electric and after a year you will know if you pay enough or less or if you pay more they will reimburse the difference.

When we decided to move, so we gave our landlord a month notice that we are moving by our surprise we owed him an extra £700 for the electric bill how can it be its like two of us working at night the other on a morning shift. We're new, scared or gullible we have no choice but to pay When I bump to a Polish ex-colleague ask me how am I or if I am still live in that house (she lives there before us) I said no and told her about the electric bill and she said that's what happened to her and her mate when they decided to move they charge them additonal £500 for the electric bill.

Some people are just no consience at all bec they know you are helpless they take advantage at you

[Arthur Little]

I know how it feels bec i experienced that when me and 2 of my filipina friend shared a house together. We're new here have no absolutely idea about renting system here in UK. Everything in the house is in our landlord's name. We're paying him extra £20/month for the electric and after a year you will know if you pay enough or less or if you pay more they will reimburse the difference.

When we decided to move, so we gave our landlord a month notice that we are moving by our surprise we owed him an extra £700 for the electric bill how can it be its like two of us working at night the other on a morning shift. We're new, scared or gullible we have no choice but to pay When I bump to a Polish ex-colleague ask me how am I or if I am still live in that house (she lives there before us) I said no and told her about the electric bill and she said that's what happened to her and her mate when they decided to move they charge them additonal £500 for the electric bill.

Some people are just no consience at all bec they know you are helpless they take advantage at you

Yup, ... there OUGHT to be/MUST be a law to protect vulnerable tenants against bads like that!!!