Legal advice needed on contracts?


Can anyone advise me on a problem my son has. He signed into a contract on rented property with a 'mate' of his. The mate hasn't be paying his side of the bargain, I know my son has because he has his bill money transferred to my wall and I pay it for him. They have had a summons for council levy non payment, again, my son pays his half. It has very soon got to the point where the mate has started threatening my son after he told him to salary his way. My son wants to leave the property but have been told he'll have to carry on paying his rent etc. This could be so much longer but it's strong to explain on here. Cheers. PS, the mate has recently started snorting coke, another reason my son wishes out. Thanks again The saying goes "You don't know someone until you live with them" He's only just found out !!!
Best Answer:
Contact your local Citizen's Advice Bureau as they will be able to give support to.
Charming mate, your son has. Unfortunately the landlord is entitled to expect to receive his rent for the interval of the contract. That is what the contract is, a legally binding agreement that the landlord provides the property and the tenants reward the rent. All he can do is appeal to the landlord's better nature and hope he'll be released from it, though that is NOT guaranteed.
Bardic is absolutely correct. The position that your son finds himself in is, sadly, far from unusual. He is almost definitely in a situation of having "joint and several liability". This means that the hotelier can go after either or both of them for the whole of any debt owing - how the associates who owe the money may have agreed to split things is of no concern to him. Whilst I have a lot of sympathy for your son surrounded by his position, I would ask that you consider it from the other side. If you were the landlord, would you give up the right to recuperate the money from a legitimate source and try to go after the coke-head? As you say surrounded by your additional details, your son has learned a prized lesson. I just hope that it does not prove too costly for him.
I would advise your son to start gathering or keeping tangible proofs that he can use against his mate within regards to non-payment of rent and in shield he is harmed or assaulted. You can check lots of free legal resources out there in the internet, approaching the one I cited.