Here’s how to get around that issue
Some people may be apprehensive about jumping on the flatmate bandwagon because they detest the idea of having to take responsibility for the bills. Imagine the following scenario…
You’ve found the perfect flatmate using the cityflatmate app. You’ve found the perfect apartment for the two of you. You’ve moved in. Now you need to find an internet provider, a cable TV provider, a heating provider… the list goes on. And whose name goes on the bill? Well it’s not going to be yours! Do you really want to put yourself through all that? What if your flatmate doesn’t pay on time? That means all of the cost will come out of your account. What if she doesn’t pay at all? Then either you pay or risk your credit rating being affected. What if she moves out before paying her share of the rent!!! There are just too many issues!
(This problem is also experienced by those moving into existing households and married couples!)
The above is a common issue and is usually the cause of many household disagreements. But there is a way to get around this by communicating with your potential landlord. Some landlords are surprisingly flexible and open to communication and if they’re not, well, would you really want to live under his roof for the foreseeable future? I suggest looking for somewhere else to live.
What you could do is after you’ve found the perfect flat, ask you landlord to include the price of all bills in the rent. In most cases he may increase your rent slightly (or you could suggest a rate increase that you’ll both be happy with). If you want the bills to be separate to the rent, you could also suggest that he consolidate the bills and both you and your flatmate are responsible for paying him (although we recommend the first option). Either way, the bills are no longer in your name and all you’ll have to do is worry about making rent at the end of the month.
As always, wishing you the best of luck!
The CityFlatmate Team 😀
