Can I terminate my tenant's tenancy early for having an unauthorised pet?

lovinituk · 12 July 2017 at 10:09PM

higgledypiggledy_pop wrote: »

They are very aware that I am not happy, but they fib about the reality of the situation. Furthermore any cleaning costs would presumably have been taken out of their deposit, which I cannot locate at present

Do you realise they could sue you for up to 3 times the deposit because it wasn't properly protected? As the landlord you're liable.

Riggyman · 12 July 2017 at 10:21PM

higgledypiggledy_pop wrote: »

No I would most definitely not have allowed children. I thought that the current tenants would be good custodians of the place and its contents because they were reported to have decent jobs, and they looked very neat and smart, at least according to the neighbour. It would appear that the woman doesn't have the job stated originally as she is in and out all day with the dog, and clearly not working at a bank full time. They paid a large deposit against damages because of the interior but I am coming to believe that this may have been appropriated by the agent and not protected in a deposit scheme as it was supposed to be.

What about vampires?

higgledypiggledy_pop · 13 July 2017 at 11:35AM

deannatrois wrote: »

I am sorry this has happened to you. Are you aware you will have to return the tenants deposit (less deductions) even if the LA has run off with it? I'm afraid even if you trusted the LA to place it in a protection scheme the responsibility for it lies with you.

You can of course, take them to court for the loss of the deposit and possibly the tax money, but you will need to have some documentation and emails to help prove your loss.

Did they definitely pay the rent monies into your bank account?

Yes, I am aware that I am in a big bloody mess. The deposit was nearly £4000 and I have no idea who I need to talk to to find out if it was registered properly of if it has been 'safeguarded' by the agent.

At least some of the money did appear in the bank account.

higgledypiggledy_pop · 13 July 2017 at 11:36AM

macman wrote: »

OP, if the tenants paid the full 12m rent upfront, why did you agree to the agent taking 15% to collect the rent? They only had to make one collection! .

The 15 % cut was supposed to cover all the expenses of finding the tenant as well, paperwork as they did not take a separate fee for this. I am embarrassed to say that I did not receive all of the rent upfront even though it was paid to the agent, it has been drip feeding into my account every month with the %40 deduction. The agent said this was for tax purposes as there would be more tax due on a lump sum. Now I am terrified that the agent knows I am suspicious and seems to be hiding, the latest rent installment is due to come in next week and so what if that stops as well?? I will be completely scuppered.

higgledypiggledy_pop · 13 July 2017 at 11:46AM

macman wrote: »

People who are cash rich enough to do that don't need to work in banks. They're either wealthy foreigners laundering their money, or more likely, running a cannabis farm. Call me Sherlock, but that would of course explain the need for the dog-it's to protect their investment from nosey neighbours...
Looking on the bright side though, if they do turn out to be cultivating pharmaceutical crops, then it's unlikely that they'll be reporting you for the absence of a LGSC.

This almost made me panic for a moment but I think you are being facetious. They look very well dressed, at least in the photographs taken by the neighbour, and the woman sounded reasonably well educated on the phone. I cannot imagine her growing a cannabis. I should have thought my neighbour would inform me if anything like that was happening there, although I doubt that she would know anything about drugs. He could just be very well paid or there could be wealthy family involved. I am not going to add THAT to the list of concerns

However it does continue to upset me that they are fibbers, with dog, and the female does actually not seem to be working as was stated.

leslieknope · 13 July 2017 at 11:48AM

the agent has really done a number on you. have you checked they're a registered company and not one charlatan? unfortunately you are still liable for the deposit, for the tax, etc, even if the agent promised to cover this and didn't. so if they've run off with the deposit and your tax, you'll still have to pay these to the tenant at the end of the tenancy (minus any reasonable deductions) and to the taxman.

let the issue of the dog go now. you have much bigger problems. start by contacting your agent and asking for documentation to prove they have paid the tax correctly and that the deposit has been properly protected.

higgledypiggledy_pop · 13 July 2017 at 11:50AM

lovinituk wrote: »

Do you realise they could sue you for up to 3 times the deposit because it wasn't properly protected? As the landlord you're liable.

Then I will just have to make sure that they do not find out about any of this, and be none the wiser when they eventually leave. Maybe I will also have to hope that their hound does damage something, preferably expensive and ugly so that I can take it from what they are owed!!

leslieknope · 13 July 2017 at 11:50AM

higgledypiggledy_pop wrote: »

This almost made me panic for a moment but I think you are being facetious. They look very well dressed, at least in the photographs taken by the neighbour, and the woman sounded reasonably well educated on the phone. I cannot imagine her growing a cannabis. I should have thought my neighbour would inform me if anything like that was happening there, although I doubt that she would know anything about drugs. He could just be very well paid or there could be wealthy family involved. I am not going to add THAT to the list of concerns

However it does continue to upset me that they are fibbers, with dog, and the female does actually not seem to be working as was stated.

you have no proof that she's not working aside from the word of a nosy neighbour. she could do shift work, she could work from home as she does something for a bank completely unrelated to the actual customer banking - IT for example? don't make assumptions when they have admirably paid 12 months rent upfront and given it to a dodgy agent who is taking 40%! sort the agent out first!

higgledypiggledy_pop · 13 July 2017 at 12:02PM

leslieknope wrote: »

the agent has really done a number on you. have you checked they're a registered company and not one charlatan? unfortunately you are still liable for the deposit, for the tax, etc, even if the agent promised to cover this and didn't. so if they've run off with the deposit and your tax, you'll still have to pay these to the tenant at the end of the tenancy (minus any reasonable deductions) and to the taxman.

let the issue of the dog go now. you have much bigger problems. start by contacting your agent and asking for documentation to prove they have paid the tax correctly and that the deposit has been properly protected.

As I have said before I have been trying to contact the agent for two weeks, firstly about the dog and now about this tax issue, I have left 20+ voicemails and now the phone doesn't even ring any more when I call so as you can see I am left out in the cold. I have checked for the name '(Agent's surname) Letting Solutions' on the Companies House web search but it does not appear, however I am told that this only registered limited companies and I don't know if that's what kind of operation the agent was running.

leslieknope · 13 July 2017 at 12:07PM

does anything come up when you google it?

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Can I terminate my tenant's tenancy early for having an unauthorised pet?

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