Tricky situation with an aggressive head tenant

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Wannabe Geek

Topic # 93647 26-Nov-2011 00:26

Hello everyone, this is my first time. Looks like a great site and I hope you all can give me a little bit of advice on something.

Last year I have moved into a flat (right now the flat has 5 people in it, including myself) with the original head tenant dating the landlord (or maybe partial landlord of the house) - she was not living in the house. In time the original head tenant and the landlord had relationship problems and ended up breaking up, which forced the original head tenant to move out and another flat mate being appointed as the head tenant (I personally have not seen any documentation regarding this).

Anywho...

One night, the newly appointed head tenant, got drunk and decided to enter my room (in which I was sleeping) whilst the music was blasting at around 2 am in the morning (he has an aggressive personality and a quick temper, and can use this to try and intimidate people). Upon awakening I escorted him out of my room and he did not like it - I didn't use excessive force, start punching him or whatever (even though I was quite angry at him at the time), just grabbed him by his arm and told him to leave my room, then closed my room door after. He got really angry, punched a hole in my rooms door and when I came out to talk to him he decided to get in my face trying to get me to punch him, ect ect basically instigating the whole situation (saying that he will 'evict me out' if I decide to punch him). I decided not to fight him or do anything violent because things like that only complicate matters further. In his defense though, after thinking it through he was probably trying to jump on my bed when I was sleeping in it thinking it would be funny - being drunk probably reinforced this further. Needless to say this incident left an indent in our flatting situation, eg. tension/awkward when talking to each other, even after both saying sorry to each other. Since it happened though I have made a little bit of an effort to talk to him (just small talk) but other than that just kept to myself and did my own thing. I have to say that he has eased up slightly on his drinking (he's 22 by the way and I am 25) but at the time it was terrible.

Onto now...

Most of the flatmates were home today and we decided to watch a movie. We picked a movie, I put it on computer and we started to watch it. He proceeds to say that he has seen the movie and that his real friends would put a movie on that he has not seen before. I told him to stop such a whiny b_tch and that it's just a movie, no big deal. Oh boy, that set him off into a fiery rage lol I swear his eyes were about to pop out of his head with all the yelling and he was gonna explode on me. I kept talking to him in a lowered tone, I think that might also got to him because he wasn't getting a reaction out of me...... Anyway, by the end of it he grabbed his beers, slammed a few doors and told me that I have 4 weeks notice to leave the flat.

What are my options at this stage? Should I contact the landlord and talk to her about it?

Of course I can leave the flat, but I like it. Rent is good, pretty chilled out flatties (apart from the obvious)...

Any advice is appreciated friends

Looking forward for browsing this site!

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Reply # 550146 26-Nov-2011 01:08

I think he's the one who needs to go. You can contact the Tenacy Tribunal, but perhaps try to talk to the landlord in private without him knowing. See if the landlord is reasonable. (if not, good to know - leave immediately).

This 'head tenant' is obviously an idiot. Record his ranting on your phone if you can. Don't tell him.

wmoore

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Ultimate Geek

Reply # 550152 26-Nov-2011 03:49

Personally I would leave as this man is a danger to you and your flatmates. what do the other flatmates think of this guy. Maybe you could all leave and find another place without him.
In the meantime I would get a lock for your bedroom door.

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -
-- Abraham lincoln

gregmcc

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Reply # 550158 26-Nov-2011 06:35

Basically who ever's name is on the tennancy agreement is the one one who gets to say who goes. It souds like it isn't you and is quite possibly the problem flatmate.

1) talk to the other flatmates about the posibility of all of you going to another flat

2) present to the problem flatmate the posibility of all the others moving somewhere different leaving him behind.

The whole reason there are a behind a number of flatmates is that you can all afford to live in a better place that one of you couldn't normally afford, the problem flatmate most likely will see reason and either chill out or if you are lucky move out, but at the end of the day of neither happens you may be the one moving out, but if you have the support of the other flatmates you can all move on without him and he is left carrying the fully cost of rent which he most likely can't afford

freitasm

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Reply # 550167 26-Nov-2011 07:03

I seriously don't think this would work, even after all the talk. Some people are just hard to get on with. Move out, and move on. Leave the bad apple behind.

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TheUngeek

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Reply # 550175 26-Nov-2011 08:23

First things first what is signed on paper?
Have you signed a tenancy agreement?
If neither has, who has?
Has the bad tempered guy signed one?

alasta

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Reply # 550177 26-Nov-2011 08:25

I agree with others who have advised moving out. Clearly this guy is posing an untenable risk to you.

I had a similar situation last year where my lunatic flatmate went berserk because I decided to disconnect the internet connection that I was paying for out of my own pocket. For the sake of my own safety I ended up having to leave at a moment's notice which meant incurring the cost of staying in a motel for several days while I found somewhere else to go, as well as getting movers in at short notice. You don't want to find yourself in that situation.

Batman

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Reply # 550194 26-Nov-2011 09:29

this is unremediable!!! any attempts will bring grief or injury to you now or in the future. leave peacefully before he gets obsessed about hunting you down. don't make a fuss of it, make it low key, as there are some obsessed people who would hunt people down and won't let them leave (they have a dependancy on intimidating their victims). if MF said collect evidence in private if you can, so they can be used agaisnt him if he follows you and sabotages you.

jtbthatsme

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Reply # 550200 26-Nov-2011 10:01

First off Welcome to Geekzone and not sure about the others I find it interesting you've joined a geeky type website and your first post (although certainly posted in the right place) is totally not geek related hehe funny.

As to what you've asked most definitely you need to move if this guy lost the plot over movie time going behind his back and talking to the landlord although not a bad idea when not if but when he finds out he will be pissed.

As for moving with the others that athough also not a bad idea in theory putting it into practice will enrage him even more and possibly make a stalker out of him as unless your all agreeing to do a runner when he's not home then what sort of reception do you think he's gonna have when you all go "we're moving your not coming".

Just bite the bullet and move once your in a new place of your own or a new flatting situation if any of the others decide to do similar and join you then that's workable but as a group things would not be good over the grace period between moving. Plus one person moves a lot quicker than a group.

Good Luck either way and like I said welcome to GZ.

sleemanj

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Reply # 550211 26-Nov-2011 10:15

Is your name on the Tenancy Agreement.

That is fundamental to the issue at hand.

If not, then frankly, collect your stuff and leave as soon as possible.

If you did sign the TA, then you need to have a bit of a chat with the landlord.

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I sell lots of stuff for electronic enthusiasts...

gzt

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Reply # 550226 26-Nov-2011 10:42

The guy is a total [expletive].

The landlord situation might be flexible. Find out if the other flatmates feel the same as you. People often do in this situation. See if they are considering moving out. If that is the case call the landlord and explain the situation, particularly punching the hole in the door.

If you are going to do this you have to ask yourself if you are prepared to take on that responsibility or another flatmate is.

IMHO it is unlikely a total [expletive] (and + alcohol) will change that kind of dominating behavior or it will just come out in other ways, so the simplest option is just to move out and move on. Good time of year for it, lots of choice.

Brendan

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Reply # 550227 26-Nov-2011 10:43

Actually, I agree with what the others have said. Move out and take your other flat mates with you if they will go. Don't tell the bad one a damn thing.

networkn

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Reply # 550229 26-Nov-2011 10:49

Just leave, even if you CAN win, and it's unlikely to say the least, what will the cost be?

muppet

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Reply # 550243 26-Nov-2011 11:02

Move out. Anything else will just be a waste of time and effort in the long run.

richms

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Reply # 550303 26-Nov-2011 14:49

If you are not on the tennancy agreement then just move out, you are under no obligation to give notice, and also the tennancy tribunal will be of no use to either of you in this case.

Not saying that you should forget about paying the last week, but the only remedy for the person on the agreement to chase you for it is via disputes tribunal, up to you if you bother paying or not, since I assume they took some cash off you as a bond etc which you will probably not have a show of getting back

Richard rich.ms

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Reply # 550379 26-Nov-2011 18:24

richms: If you are not on the tennancy agreement then just move out, you are under no obligation to give notice, and also the tennancy tribunal will be of no use to either of you in this case.

Not saying that you should forget about paying the last week, but the only remedy for the person on the agreement to chase you for it is via disputes tribunal, up to you if you bother paying or not, since I assume they took some cash off you as a bond etc which you will probably not have a show of getting back

You shouldn't have paid any money as bond if you're a flatmate. Legally a flatmate has no rights when it comes to the property so they should not incur any of the responsibility.

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