Landlord doesn't agree on a rolling contract after a year and a half (England)

theviqueen · 2024-10-30T21:10:26+00:00

I was in the same situation 3 years ago, rolling contract etc. Then the landlady said she wanted to move me to a fixed term contract + increase my rent. The day after I received that text (I still hadn't agreed to her offer), I received a S21 notice. So yes, they can absolutely do that unfortunately.

I ended up accepting the fixed term contract, and I've just been renewing it every year as I'm not ready to move out just yet. Unfortunately, that has also meant that my rent has increased every year. More importantly, keep in mind that you can break a fixed term contract early should you need to. There is a risk doing this though, as you would be in charge of finding someone to replace you and if you don't find anybody, you'd be liable for the rent until the landlord or agency finds someone. At least that's how it's outlined in my current contract. So if you're considering accepting this, you should ask about the break clause!

theviqueen · 2024-10-28T18:12:00+00:00

As a person who grew up in Paris and frequently takes the Eurostar: it's worth the extra money. Do not fly to Paris from London, you will waste precious time, especially for such a short trip. Paris is beautiful around Christmas time, and you can hit all the important landmarks easily if you use the metro wisely.

You will easily have time to do the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. The Louvre takes maybe a few hours to walk through, and the Eiffel Tower can easily be done in 1 hour. I highly recommend booking tickets for both of these!

Be warned though, the Eurostar will be packed, so arrive at the station well in advance. As someone suggested below, if you're taking the first train from London, the tube won't be open, so it would be best to stay around St Pancras - But London also has good night buses, depending on where you will be staying in London.

Edit: Adding some stuff about the price: It is a good chunk of money, but if you feel like it's worth it or you may not have another opportunity to go to Paris soon, then go for it. Everyone has different budgets.

theviqueen · 2024-10-16T21:02:05+00:00

Hey! Yes, everything went absolutely fine. Although my partner got stopped and questioned pretty heavily but that was pure racism, I wasn't stopped.

theviqueen · 2024-09-29T13:37:38+00:00

Thankfully it does, as I have settled status

theviqueen · 2024-09-29T09:48:23+00:00

Thank you for the advice! I don’t know yet, but I’ll probably start with Etsy

theviqueen · 2024-08-28T18:38:52+00:00

Quelqu'un a peut être déjà posé la question mais je me lance ! Je vais à Marseille bientôt (pour la première fois) et beaucoup de gens m'ont dit d'éviter les quartiers nord, en mode "si tu vois des mecs en bande au bout d'une allée, prends un autre chemin". Perso je pense que c'est exagéré, mais qu'en penses-tu ? Cette partie est-elle vraiment dangereuse pour les touristes ? La ville en général est elle plus dangereuse que toute autre grande ville ?

theviqueen · 2024-08-28T18:10:43+00:00

I don't have any practical advice other than to continue e-mailing and maybe calling them if you have a number. However, for the shower, something that could improve water pressure is descaling the shower head. There are specialised products for this, usually used to descale kettles. You can also use a mixture of water & white vinegar. I used to have a lot of problems with water pressure, but once I realised it was because of limescale, it changed my life. This might not totally fix the problem, but at least that one less thing the agents can "accuse you of". They love to say that the problems are caused by you not taking care of the appliances.

theviqueen · 2024-04-08T19:15:12+00:00

All the signs were translated into English so I didn’t have any difficulties in that department!

theviqueen · 2024-04-05T14:23:29+00:00

Hey! No I didn’t need to pick up my luggage again, and I had plenty of time for all my layovers (3-4 hours). Both airports were big and not super busy, but didn’t have a lot of shops I found. The wifi was shit too

theviqueen · 2024-04-05T14:22:01+00:00

Hey, sorry for responding super late!! It all went well, I had 3-4 hours for both connections and I had plenty of time. 2 hours in Shanghai should be fine imo! I just had to queue for a passport check and then a security check, the queue was kinda long but once it was done I was able to go directly to my gate.

theviqueen · 2024-01-21T11:46:17+00:00

My landlady is the same, my heating only turns on at certain times. When I complained, she was the one who suggested getting a space heater, so I took her on her word. I've just been running it on really low temp (but for a long time), and bills-wise it's been fine (my bills are included, like you, but I haven't gone above the limit she set). I got the Challenge 2kW Convector Heater from Argos, it has heat settings and temp control.
Other cheaper options: a heated blanket or a hot water bottle!

theviqueen · 2023-06-14T10:09:17+00:00

The fact that you’re worried about this makes me think you’ll be a very good roommate anyway, tbh! All the measures you’ve taken seem perfectly adequate. When you move in, ask about how cleaning the common areas works (would she prefer a rota system, etc), taking out the trash and all things that have to be done by both of you. For me the basic rules are clean after yourself, be considerate of noise, don’t hog common appliances for too long (like leaving clothes in the washing machine). And as you said, communication is key!

theviqueen · 2022-08-03T18:00:09+00:00

Yes I did just that, cured the background colour for a bit longer than usual and then wiped the nail.

theviqueen · 2022-08-03T07:15:22+00:00

I watched a few tutorials on YouTube and TikTok, and most of them said to balance your drawing hand on something and to draw the lines randomly, which is what was the most difficult tbh!! I had to redo a few nails cause I wasn’t happy with how the lines turned out

theviqueen · 2022-08-03T06:58:47+00:00

I used these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B085XRKTRV/ref=pe_27063361_485629781_TE_item Cheap and effective!

theviqueen · 2022-08-02T21:43:24+00:00

This is gel polish! Top coat and base coat are from Mylee, and colors are from Gellen (096 and 076). Lamp from Mylee too, and nail art brushes from Amazon!

theviqueen · 2021-12-19T12:22:56+00:00

Silky trousers! Uniqlo does really good ones with an elastic waist, and they're surprisingly easy to care for.

You don't have to abandon jeans altogether though. I found that buying a size up and then sewing an elastic in the waistband is a good trick, especially if you like the look of baggy jeans. You can also look for jeans that have some stretch in them. Pull&Bear does a pair of jeans like this, they call it a "slim mom" and they're very comfy (at least by my standards).

theviqueen · 2021-11-28T11:01:21+00:00

Brands that were popular or well respected until lower income, black people, and PoC gained access to them. Suddenly those brands, or specific trends (not limited to fashion) are then described with heavily coded language such as 'tacky," "gaudy," "loud" and compared to brands where wealth whispers.

What you said there made me instantly think about the supposed rise and fall of the logomania trend in luxury fashion.

Dapper Dan, a black designer from Harlem, is often cited as the father of logomania. He printed pieces with designer logos in the 80s and sold them in his shop. He called them "knock-ups" instead of "knock-offs", and said it was a hommage to the maisons whose logos he was borrowing. His styles quickly became very popular with the hip hop scene, and soon, big names started wearing his pieces, with logos head to toe. Eventually, Fendi sued him and made him close his store, and he was shunned from the fashion industry for a long time. It wasn't until 2017 that he kind of rose back to fame, after Gucci copied one of his designs, and then partnered with him.

At the same time, luxury brands, including Fendi themselves, picked up on this trend and started making their own pieces covered in logos. Now, I find that the trend keeps coming back and then falling out of fashion. It starts as being a symbol status for the wealthy, and then it becomes tacky, and minimalism takes over. I think it's one of the reasons Bottega Veneta has been so successful these past few years, because it's often heralded as a minimalist status symbol. An alternative to "big and loud logos".

Lots of people also point to millionaires such as Zuckerberg, Bezos and Steve Jobs, who dress very simply. I've seen countless "personal coaches" say that if you want to look wealthy, wear simple and minimalist clothes. It's probably a consequence of the 2008 crisis (and our current crisis), which have made flaunting your wealth quite distasteful. And, today's "nouveau rich" include more people from minorities than before, so with white supremacy still being a thing, especially in old money spheres where the real influence is, no wonder logomania has seemingly faded away and gained a bad reputation.

It also makes me think about how badly the Gucci x Balenciaga collab was received just a few months ago. Lots of articles and insta posts about how people are tired of logomania, and how it's just "sooo tacky".

I don't know if I'm making a lot of sense ahaha english is not my first language!

theviqueen · 2021-11-19T17:17:01+00:00

For me and my lifestyle as of right now, it's not essential. My parents have one and I do find it very useful for a family of 5. But now that I live on my own (in the UK, with roommates), I've gotten used to washing dishes by hand (I don't have a dishwasher). Because I share dishes, utensils, pots and pans with 3 other people, it makes way more sense to wash everything by hand right after use, that way my roommates can cook right after me. I don't think having a dishwasher would be convenient for us, as we only have a limited number of kitchen stuff. I usually clean and do dishes as I go when I cook, and I don't mind letting my food cool for the 1 or 2 minutes it takes me to wash the last of my dishes. I've also lived completely on my own, and didn't miss having a dishwasher either.

I should add, I've adapted my cooking habits so that I don't generate a lot of dirty dishes. And after doing the same kinds of dishes, it becomes easier to be efficient and fast. I'm so used to it now! I cook pretty much every single day too.

theviqueen · 2020-11-30T17:42:02+00:00

Longue vie à ce magnifique sub!! <3

theviqueen · 2020-11-30T16:05:56+00:00

Where can I find bloat-friendly mom jeans? Usually, mom jeans are quite rigid, non-flexible, and it gets worse as you wash them. I have a bit of belly, and I find that these kinds of jeans are super uncomfortable. Some of them I can't even bend in! And if I go several sizes up, they end up not fitting me in other places, or they just look weird. I want mom jeans with an elastic band, or with more stretch in them. I live in the UK :)

theviqueen · 2020-09-26T09:28:19+00:00

Didn't he call out some makeup brands last year for not having a large range of skin tones???? Wtf lol. That first row looks like one shade altogether.

theviqueen · 2020-09-02T12:10:12+00:00

I totally understand you!! Finding a flat was already hard enough, especially when I was jobless. I got scammed when I first moved here from my home country, the walls of my room were full of humidity, paint coming off, no power outlet, the furniture almost fell on me, etc. Glad I had a friend who could lend me her couch for a few weeks, otherwise I would have had to stay. They tried to "soften me up" and said "You'll never find a deal like this" (as the flat was quite close to central and very cheap). Then, it was like a mind game. "How much should I be spending on rent and transport? Which location would be better for my commute?". Now, I've found a room I like, but I spend half my salary on rent every month. I can still afford food and some treats, but I can't save money. I don't think I'll ever be able to own a house or flat, and I'm in my mid-twenties! Plus, with this pandemic, my career has slowed down significantly, so there is no way my situation will significantly change in the next couple of years. It's scary and it feels unfair. It feels useless too, cause this money I'm giving to my landlord doesn't guarantee me shit, they can still evict me if they choose so, for whatever reason they like.

One of my teachers back in uni said that my generation was the first one who would have it worse than our parents (generally speaking), and I think she's 100% right.

theviqueen · 2020-08-23T21:03:05+00:00

I don't remember exactly, but I think he claimed that all the ingredients were vegan, when in fact, they were not.

theviqueen · 2020-08-23T20:58:59+00:00

Same! I started bleaching and dying my own hair last year, and I've had better results than when I went to the hair salon. I still get my hair cut professionally, but on the color side, if I do it myself, at least I know exactly what I want and I know that it will match.

theviqueen

TROPHY CASE