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tenant left furniture

toddis
toddis Posts: 64 Forumite
First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
in House buying, renting & selling
My tenant text me on Friday saying ‘Had to vacate early. House is empty and keys on table. Keep deposit as part payment of what I owe’.

I entered the property to find he left behind a skanky mattress and a skanky sofa as well as a few items of clothing in bags.

I never replied to my tenant and I’m wondering if I should contact him giving him notice to collect his belongings OR to take his text as read.

By his own admission, the house was empty...

What would you do?

For the record I did the whole S21 thing and got a possession order. He's left owing rent too....

TIA
«1

Comments

  • aneary
    aneary Posts: 921 Forumite
    Charge him the cost of removal. However make sure you provide him a break down so he can't claim back his deposit.

    I doubt he will collect his belongings if he has left early and returned the keys.
  • Guest101
    Guest101 Posts: 15,764 Forumite
    toddis wrote: »
    My tenant text me on Friday saying ‘Had to vacate early. House is empty and keys on table. Keep deposit as part payment of what I owe’. - text? That's not the best thing. What if it was a friend, or his phone was lost or stolen.?

    I entered the property to find he left behind a skanky mattress and a skanky sofa as well as a few items of clothing in bags. - Otherwise in good order? Should refund the remainder of the deposit

    I never replied to my tenant and I’m wondering if I should contact him giving him notice to collect his belongings OR to take his text as read. - You MUST give him a chance to collect his belongings.

    By his own admission, the house was empty... - Well it's not.

    What would you do? - follow the law

    For the record I did the whole S21 thing and got a possession order. He's left owing rent too.... - How much?

    TIA

    Need some more info
  • Guest101
    Guest101 Posts: 15,764 Forumite
    aneary wrote: »
    Charge him the cost of removal. However make sure you provide him a break down so he can't claim back his deposit.

    I doubt he will collect his belongings if he has left early and returned the keys.

    It seems he left early by only a short time, since the OP got a court order for possession.
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 64 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    I've changed the locks.

    The last sentence in his text to me was 'keep the deposit and put it towards what I owe you'
  • aneary
    aneary Posts: 921 Forumite
    Does he owe rent as well or is just the cost of removing the furniture?
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 64 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Guest101 wrote: »
    Need some more info

    The text was from his number.

    The house was in an awful mess and professional cleaners are booked.

    Rent arrears is almost £5k
  • aneary
    aneary Posts: 921 Forumite
    If you have an email address I would email him a break down of all costs including removal of furniture refer to the text he sent you as well you have then covered yourself.
  • Guest101
    Guest101 Posts: 15,764 Forumite
    toddis wrote: »
    I've changed the locks.

    The last sentence in his text to me was 'keep the deposit and put it towards what I owe you'



    But when is the possession order valid from??? What if he returns, you could be technically guilty of illegal eviction
  • Guest101
    Guest101 Posts: 15,764 Forumite
    toddis wrote: »
    The text was from his number.

    The house was in an awful mess and professional cleaners are booked.

    Rent arrears is almost £5k



    But your possession order isn't valid yet.


    He could return to do the cleaning and you could not claim for that.


    The text could be from anyone though...
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 64 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    The PO was for the 12th and he left on the 9th. Maybe because he didn't want me to wave him goodbye when I collected the keys?

    He could return to do the cleaning? That made me laugh! I don't think he cleaned since moving in!
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