Tenants Leaving Agreement Early

sooz

Soot2006 wrote: »

Can you afford to take them to court, even if they end up having nothing to give if you win (although I have a niggling feeling they have more than enough to give. They just don't want to). They need a dose of reality. The world doesn't revolve around *them*!! What a rude, unpleasant man, by the sounds of it!

my thoughts too. Since they are refusing to give a forwarding address, can you do it now online, to their current address?

sooz

leespot wrote: »

What I'm doing is more out of principle - they can't go around treating people this way and not expect to upset somebody one day!

They obviously upset their previous LL too.

sooz

leespot wrote: »

My house was nearing completion, and they approached me about it via mutual friends. I offered it at £495 which is a fair rent for the property (all rennovated etc).

There is no chance of you getting anyone in before Xmas/end of December.
Will the mutual friends know their new address, & are you still speaking to them?
For next time, even if tenants approach you, or you know them, or know mutual friends:

1) reference them properly
2) take a deposit, preferably 6 weeks rent
3) never ever accept tenants because you feel sorry for them. It is a business relationship, not a charity.

leespot

Hi Sooz.

Their previous landlord had apparently put their rent up from £495 to £595 in the space of 6 months, without doing anything to the property. Hence why they left, because they couldn't afford the increase. They had been at that address for 5 years, but when talking to me the landlord was at fault for everything - I wouldn't know to be honest, after my recent dealings with them! I don't want to get nasty / too official about anything, but they're really pushing me to it!

N79

sooz wrote: »

my thoughts too. Since they are refusing to give a forwarding address, can you do it now online, to their current address?

Exactly what I would do. While I suspect you have very little chance of ever seeing the money I always try to get a CCJ on the credit records of few Ts that muck me around.

At the very least I see it as a service to future LL's that they may try to defraud as any good referencing procedure should pick it up.

skintandscared_2

They obviously believed that the year's tenancy agreement only applied to you!! They are either very calculated, or very stupid... I don't blame you for being angry - the arrogance of the man! Does he REALLY think he has the right to just walk away whenever he feels like it?!

mlz1413

leespot wrote: »

Hi Sooz.

Their previous landlord had apparently put their rent up from £495 to £595 in the space of 6 months, without doing anything to the property. Hence why they left, because they couldn't afford the increase. They had been at that address for 5 years, but when talking to me the landlord was at fault for everything - I wouldn't know to be honest, after my recent dealings with them! I don't want to get nasty / too official about anything, but they're really pushing me to it!

Increasing rent by such an amount sounds like a back handed way of getting tenants to leave!

To add to Sooz's 3 points always try and talk to previous LL and always get a guarantor at the very least it stops them being able to do a moonlight flit.

You've learnt a lot from this experience, whatever you decide to do to these people at least you shouldn't make the same mistakes again.

Good Luck

leespot

Yep I've learnt quite a lot from this experience, and it'll help me with anything that happens in the future. On a brighter note, I have someone going to view the house tomorrow, who has a deposit and a months rent in advance. Fingers crossed!

leespot

Another update! lol

1st person to look at the house this morning called and said they wanted it.

There is a 2nd person going to look at the house this evening, who is also very interested and might have a better financial background than the 1st one! Will wait and see.

If one of the viewers takes the house, then I'll stick to my word and release the other tenants from the agreement. I just hope they don't ask for a future reference though!

pinkshoes

If they ask for a reference, just write one:

"Tenant tried to worm their way out of a 1 year tenancy agreement after just one month, then became abusive when told they'd have to pay until another tenant could be found. I would not recommend renting to this person"

I hope your next tenant is really nice, but do not hesitate to pursue the old tenants for any money you lose out on, including the cost of doing a reference and credit check on your new tenants.