what can be done legally about being overcharged for rent if u didnt sign a lease?

Question

I found out I had been overcharged about 2000.00 in nine months for rent and utilities, and 200.00 for a deposit the homeowner did not require. My name is not on the lease, I was only the "third tenant." Can I do anything to get the money back? These people were supposed to be my best friends.

Answer 1

Okay you agreed upon a rent amount, then what, did you not realize you were paying more than that or are you basing your accusations on the fact it is not what the origninal person was paying and that he/she charge you MORE?

Answer 2

The lease is a contract between the owner and the tenant. Since you did not sign, you must have gotten in there some other way. Perhaps as a "roommate" of the person who did sign the lease. Since you did not provide many details, I will assume it went something like this.

A person you know is renting a house or apartment. They offer to let you be their roommate and you pay "your share" of the rent. They tell you you have to pay a $200 security deposit and a month amount of $500. You agree. There may also be another roommate there paying the same amount.

You assume the rent is $1500 a month and you each pay 1/3rd. Not so. The first roommate, the one who signed the lease has got to pay the owner a lesser amount. Lets say $1100 a month. The first roommate takes YOUR $500 and the $500 from the OTHER roommate, adds $100 to the amount and pays the rent. Now you found out the rent is only $1100 instead of the $1500 you thought and you think you are due $200+/- back.

You are not. Your agreement was with the tenant, not the owner. You agreed to pay a certain amount and it does not matter if you are paying more than 1/3rd of the rent.

You only have two choices.

See if the first roommate will take less rent from you or move out.

You were taken advantage of. If the roommate does not agree to lower the rent you can return the "favor." Since you do not have a lease or signed agreement with the roommate you could go get another room or apartment, lets say for 1 October 2007. When the end of the month rolls around, the first roommate will be expecting you to pay your money. Instead, on the last day of the month, you just grab your stuff and move out. Since you did not have a signed agreement, you do not have to give notice. Since your name probably is not on the phone or cable TV bills, you can stiff her with those also. And tell her why you are doing it. She screwed you,
you are returning the favor.

What goes around, comes around.

Answer 3

You can't do anything because you had an oral contract as the "third tenant" and the amount they told you is what you agreed to...so you have no basis for a lawsuit.

The tenants on the lease were actually leasing the property and you were renting a room from them. They could have charged you triple, if you were willing to pay it.

Answer 4

No there is nothing that can be done unless you wish to drag your "friends" to Small Claims Court with absolute proof they bilked you. You agreed to the terms your roommates set forth and never bothered to take a look at their lease! Did you bother to look at the utility bills as they came in or did you simply trust what they told you?

A lesson learned?

Answer 5

The first tenents are free to charge whatever they want ,
And whatever you agreed to .
Did you deliberately pay more than you agreed ?
Or did they have access to your bank account and take out more than agreed ?

If you paid the agreed upon rate ,
Then that was the legal rate , not what you wish it was .
And NOT what their rate was on the lease .

>

Answer 6

SUE them go to court! get your money back. If sueing is not possible, them in the future keep your money close.( in other words KNOW exactly how much you owe and make sure you have a reciept or something, so if they sue you then you auto- matically win all the money!

Answer 7

Small claims?