Tenant gone AWOL mid-contract, can I change the locks?

Becks045

Thanks all for the advice. Just as an update. My tenants solicitor has called me to say that his client has moved out and will meet me at the property to give me the keys back!

I have requested that he brings along and signs a letter to say he has no intention of returning back to the property in the form of a notice to quit and that he has abandoned his tenancy rights. I've also requested along with the keys that he provides us with a forwarding address.

I have to say that I am not looking forward to this meeting at the property as he is a horrible person who is very aggressive and rude.

Hopefully if this goes accordingy to plan I can at least contact the DPS and ask that the despoit is returned to me as he is in breach of the AST. And then I will go through the small claims court for my out of pockect expenses.

If he doesn't turn up then I'm serving an abandoment notice on the property and then in 7 weeks when he is 2 months in rent arrears I'll serve the section 21 notice.

Fun of been a landlord.

N79

Becks

I still think you have your S21 and S8 notices confused.

Why wait - serve the S21 notice today so that it is in place for when the fixed period expires if T changes their mind.

For unpaid rent it is a S8 notice. For G8 you need two months rent unpaid, not in arrears. I suspect this means you can serve it sooner than 7 weeks, if it is required.

If T does not surrender please get advice on serving the notices because I'm afraid that it still sounds like you are going to get it wrong. With the T represented you can not afford so much as a comma out of place or your possession proceedings will be dismissed.

Fingers crossed for you.

N79

ncooper1974

Becks045 wrote: »

If he doesn't turn up then I'm serving an abandoment notice on the property and then in 7 weeks when he is 2 months in rent arrears I'll serve the section 21 notice.

You dont need to wait 7 weeks for him to be 2 months in arrears, just 1 month and 1 day after the rent is due (i'm assuming he pays in advance)

Becks045

If he doesn't bring the relevant letter saying then I'll speak to a solicitor and get them to serve all the notices etc as like you've said, I don't want to get anything wrong.

N79

If you want to be money saving about it then, as previously advised, you could join a LL association. The NLA definately has a legal advice line which will talk you through serving all the notices correct - I'm fairly sure the RLA does as well. Membership is under GBP100 a year and is tax dedcutable - far more moneysaving than a solictor and in my experience just as good.

Of course you must use whichever method you feel more comfortable with.

NLA = www.landlords.co.uk
RLA = www.rla.org.uk