Do landlords have a right to tell you how to pay your rent?

Question

I'm wondering, in the UK for a house of multiple occupancy with an assured short hold tenancy agreement does the landlord have the right to dictate how the tenants pay rent? I.e. can he stipulate he will only accept rent in a joint standing order as opposed to cash, etc?

Answer 1

Is there anything in your contract ?, if not I cant see how they could inforce it.  Mind you of course your not in the best position as the landlord could give you notice and throw you out. best do as he/she says !

Answer 2

My landlady has asked that we all pay her cash, I dont like it and would prefer standing order but what she says goes i suppose either that or i go! Ask CAB

Answer 3

I am not an attorney, but.... what does the agreement say?  Does it stipulate any payment terms???

Secondly, in the absence of anything you might have agreed to in writing, my logic tells me the landlord has the right to ASK, but not dictate how you pay.

Answer 4

Unfortunately they do. My last flat I had to pay by cheque once a month and the place I'm in now is a standing order by direct debit. I had to take previous payslips to the landlord to prove I could pay the rent and I HATED doing that because that's my personal information.

Answer 5

How the landlord wants the rent paid is normally stipulated at the start of the tenancy.Technically a landlord has no specific legal "right" to impose a payment method.On the other hand tenants are unlikely to be given much of a choice and once the agreement is signed the payment method is as much "agreed" as any other tenancy term.

More important a joint standing order sounds like you would be accepting "joint" liability for the whole of the rent for the whole property and not just the part you occupy.If so you realise that all/any signatories to the Standing Order would have to make up any shortfall in total rent if one or other occupier failed to pay.Another point is that a Standing Order usually comes out of a single bank account.Do you have an account set up where all occupiers are signatories ?? Read the tenancy agreement again.

Answer 6

AS long as you receive a receipt each time, are satisfied that the rent is correct, he could be asked to be paid in potatoes if he so wished.

Answer 7

They can decide how they want the rent paid to them but it has to be reasonable ie, if they want it paid in cash to a bank account, it is not acceptable if the only branch of this bank or building society is 30 miles away (as in my case!)  If you move in at the end of the month and the landlord wants a month's rent in the middle of the month, she can put that in the contract but technically she cannot take you to court if you do not pay at the point she requested as you are not behind with the rent - in fact, you are two weeks in advance.  You do have a right to demand that the landlord gives you a receipt and if a landlord says you have not paid the rent, it is for her to prove it through the receipts - not for you to prove you did!

Answer 8

I would have to say that as they own the house and you are not forced to live in it then they can do as they please. If you don't like it then move some where else.

Answer 9

Yes. We do not accept cash, and you are unable to pay in two different forms of payment ie, money order and personal checks. Ours is outlined in an addendum that has to be sign upon move in.  

Answer 10

You are entering into a contract, the other party can put in any conditions they like. If you don't like it you need to find another landlord.