A renter who missed an 'incredibly archaic UK specific' payment was left distraught after being landed with a £1700 bill. Posting on the r/HousingUK forum on Reddit, a user explained their troublesome situation whilst also admitting 'I am an idiot'. They said: "As the title says I stupidly missed some ground rent payments and now this has been ballooned into over £1,700 .
Is there anything at all I can do ? Pension Credit can give you extra money to help with your living costs. It can also help with housing costs such as ground rent or service charges. You might get extra help if you’re a carer, severely disabled, or responsible for a child or young person.
Find out more 👇 https://t.co/enOc0EpQZ8 — Winchester City Council (@WinchesterCity) October 24, 2024 "Yes I admit being an idiot. I was away and missed the 2 payments.
They started sending me letters demanding can't remember exact amount think it was just over £300. I refused, spoke with them multiple times to come to an agreement and they keep on refusing. and now here we are to over £1700".
What is ground rent? Ground rent is a fee paid by a leaseholder to the property's freeholder for the right to occupy the land the property is built on. It's a common arrangement for flats and maisonettes, where the leaseholder owns the building but not the land. The Reddit thread then exploded with people arguing over who was in the wrong.
One user said: "how did you forget to pay the ground rent for 3 years?" To which anot.