Amelia Ann
New member
I am a senior in college and was considering staying in the city where I attend school for the summer months.
I have a friend who signed a year-long lease in a house nearby. She was not intending to be in our school city for the summer (June, July, August) and was planning on staying somewhere in Washington, DC, but, because she signed the lease beginning June, she would be paying rent for a vacated space waiting for her once school began.
I discussed the option of staying at her space with her several times, telling her that I had a strong inclination that I would be in Rochester (where we go to school) for the summer, but that I was not sure pending results from my summer job search. I gave her reasonable level of suspicion that I may not spend the summer in her space, in my opinion.
When I spoke with her, she said that she was willing to give me a discount off of her full rent rate, considering I was "doing her a favor" by staying there, and that she would draw up a contract between the two of us because the landlord does not want anything to do with subletters but prefers to speak with the renters themselves.
I never received a contract from her, we never agreed upon any amount to be paid monthly, and I ended up staying in the space for only 2 1/2 weeks before moving out to take a job opportunity which opened up at my home.
She and I have played phone tag several times, but I did call her and leave her a message telling her that I believe a reasonable amount to pay would be the full month's rent that she owes the landlord plus two months utilities, considering 1. I have no contract which specifies an amount, 2. I did not use the space for a full month, 3. We never agreed on any set amount even in conversation.
I have called her, emailed her, and texted her regarding this situation, and she has done the same (save email), and I expect to have a conversation with her in the next few days regarding the status of and amount paid in my check to her.
I understand that this leaves her paying for two months' rent in a space she has not been staying in and was hoping to offset with a subleter, but I feel like it was understood I may not use the space, and that she would have been paying three months' rent with no subletter had I not stepped in and discussed the possibility of it with her.
In my opinion, the burden is on her to specify an amount from the offset and draw up a contract. Without one, I feel a month's rent and two months utilities is a reasonable payment.
HOWEVER ~ she is currently two months of rent behind, has yet to pay the security deposit, and is daily incurring $5 late fees for having not paid any rent as of yet.
Should I feel as guilty as I do about this? And do you think a months' rent and two months utilities is a reasonable payment?
THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE
I have a friend who signed a year-long lease in a house nearby. She was not intending to be in our school city for the summer (June, July, August) and was planning on staying somewhere in Washington, DC, but, because she signed the lease beginning June, she would be paying rent for a vacated space waiting for her once school began.
I discussed the option of staying at her space with her several times, telling her that I had a strong inclination that I would be in Rochester (where we go to school) for the summer, but that I was not sure pending results from my summer job search. I gave her reasonable level of suspicion that I may not spend the summer in her space, in my opinion.
When I spoke with her, she said that she was willing to give me a discount off of her full rent rate, considering I was "doing her a favor" by staying there, and that she would draw up a contract between the two of us because the landlord does not want anything to do with subletters but prefers to speak with the renters themselves.
I never received a contract from her, we never agreed upon any amount to be paid monthly, and I ended up staying in the space for only 2 1/2 weeks before moving out to take a job opportunity which opened up at my home.
She and I have played phone tag several times, but I did call her and leave her a message telling her that I believe a reasonable amount to pay would be the full month's rent that she owes the landlord plus two months utilities, considering 1. I have no contract which specifies an amount, 2. I did not use the space for a full month, 3. We never agreed on any set amount even in conversation.
I have called her, emailed her, and texted her regarding this situation, and she has done the same (save email), and I expect to have a conversation with her in the next few days regarding the status of and amount paid in my check to her.
I understand that this leaves her paying for two months' rent in a space she has not been staying in and was hoping to offset with a subleter, but I feel like it was understood I may not use the space, and that she would have been paying three months' rent with no subletter had I not stepped in and discussed the possibility of it with her.
In my opinion, the burden is on her to specify an amount from the offset and draw up a contract. Without one, I feel a month's rent and two months utilities is a reasonable payment.
HOWEVER ~ she is currently two months of rent behind, has yet to pay the security deposit, and is daily incurring $5 late fees for having not paid any rent as of yet.
Should I feel as guilty as I do about this? And do you think a months' rent and two months utilities is a reasonable payment?
THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE