Fair play: a disgruntled tenant discovers he's paying more than his flatmates — but still doesn't want to leave

The accidental landlord is happy to release a disgruntled young tenant from his 12-month contract without penalty. Problem is, he doesn’t seem very keen to go…
£650 a week: a three-bedroom apartment in Arkwright Mansions, a period building in Hampstead, is available to rent through Frognal Estates (020 8012 9079)
Victoria Whitlock28 April 2018

The newest young tenant in my multi-let property has found out his flatmates are paying less rent than him, and he’s not at all happy.

He calls and asks me outright how I can justify charging him 12 per cent more than the others for a room that is no better than theirs.

I ask him if he looked at other flats before he decided to take the room in mine. Yes, he says, he did. “So why did you choose this one?” I ask.

“Because it was better,” he says.

“And how did the price of my room compare to others you looked at?” I ask.

Sheepishly now, he confirms what I already knew: that it was cheaper.

“Do you still like your room?” I ask.

He says he does, but he insists it’s not fair that he pays more than the others.

“Would you like me to increase their rents, would that be fairer?” I ask.

Of course, he says no, but he still asks why he should have to pay more.

I tell him that he doesn’t, he can move and I am willing to release him from his 12-month contract.

I didn’t charge him a move-in fee so he won’t have lost any money, and I didn’t ask him for a deposit because his dad guaranteed his rent, so he’s free to go.

I had a similar problem a while ago with a French guy when he found out he was paying slightly more than three other tenants who’d moved into the flat a year earlier than him.

He accused me of racism, which was odd as his flatmates were from Bulgaria, Hungary and Italy.

I know how annoying it is to find out you’ve paid more for something than someone else, but in the case of my new tenant, I don’t think I am being unfair.

True, his flatmates are getting a better deal than him, but only because they’ve lived in the property longer.

He should be reassured by the fact that I don’t push up the rent for existing tenants, not annoyed that the others are paying less than him.

I’m not afraid this discovery of rent disparity will prompt him to leave, if only because he really won’t be able to find a room nearby for any less. It’s in an area that appeals to students and low-income workers, such as nurses, so I’ve deliberately kept the rent low to fill rooms fast.

If I am wrong and he does leave, I’m not worried because I could re-let his room in a jiffy. There are plenty of other tenants looking who won’t mind paying more than their flatmates as long as they’ve got decent, affordable accommodation.

Victoria Whitlock lets four properties in south London. To contact Victoria with your ideas and views, tweet @vicwhitlock.

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