Landlord/rented house question

magicgenie

Manchester City Council sent my sister a bill, they have her address for correspondence for me, I'm a landlord living abroad.

It's for 873 pounds, for some works carried out in accordance with a notice served under Environmental Protection Act, basically, there was a hole in the lounge ceiling from a leak, the tenant didn't get much help from the managing agent and sought help from the council to repair it, which they did.

I've managed to get a copy invoice from the Council (on email).
I've asked them (on email) what the options are to be able to pay it (i.e. monthly direct debit or something) but have had no response.

Has anyone else had works forced on them like this. I'm sure I have to pay and will. But wondered on methods available.
Alex

clutton_2

you need to contact them by phone and maybe fax as well, as a matter of urgency. They will take you to court if you do not pay this, and then you will have a CCJ. They really dislike what they see as incompetent landlords.... i have personal experience of manchester council - they are particularly pro-tenant.

Fire_Fox

Don't you keep in regular contact with your letting agents? Don't you have money set aside for meeting your legal obligation to keep the property in a good state of repair?

tbs624

magicgenie wrote: »

Manchester City Council sent my sister a bill, they have her address for correspondence for me, I'm a landlord living abroad.

It's for 873 pounds, for some works carried out in accordance with a notice served under Environmental Protection Act, basically, there was a hole in the lounge ceiling from a leak, the tenant didn't get much help from the managing agent and sought help from the council to repair it, which they did.

I've managed to get a copy invoice from the Council (on email).
I've asked them (on email) what the options are to be able to pay it (i.e. monthly direct debit or something) but have had no response.

Has anyone else had works forced on them like this. I'm sure I have to pay and will. But wondered on methods available.
Alex

Hang on, "works forced on" you? If your sister acts as your "correspondence address" whilst you are abroad, surely she would also have received the formal Notice of Action from the local Council? This would have given you the option of arranging for the necessary work to be done by your own choice of workman.

On Clutton's comment, I would hope that any council would be "pro-tenant" if faced with a concerned tenant who has a non-UK LL and an LA who fails to act on "a hole in a ceiling from a leak". Did the LA or your sister let you know there were problems, before the Council became involved?

Ultimately you, as the LL, are responsible for complying with your legally enforceable repairing obligations. Looks like you need to get yourself a more efficient LA and perhaps get your sister to take a more pro-active part in managing the rental on your behalf.

If you don't pay the bill by the due date, court proceedings will be issued for recovery of the debt: contact the relevant council officer pronto by phone and then confirm in writing the contents of that conversation.

G_M

1) sack your agents! Are you paying them for full management? If so they are clearly not doing their job.
2) contact the council urgently as suggested by Clutton.
3) sack your sister too - as per tbs624's post.

clutton_2

tbs - Manchester city council takes its responsibilities as far as tenants are concerned to waaaay too much of an extreme - thats why i no longer have property in their area, they tend to treat landlords as if they are all criminals....

their literature to tenants assumes that all landlords need reporting to them.... so i dont retract my earlier post

PayDay

clutton wrote: »

tbs - Manchester city council takes its responsibilities as far as tenants are concerned to waaaay too much of an extreme - thats why i no longer have property in their area, they tend to treat landlords as if they are all criminals....

their literature to tenants assumes that all landlords need reporting to them.... so i dont retract my earlier post

I have a tenanted property in Manchester and have never had "personal experience of manchester council".

I find it hard to believe that they want "all landlords need reporting to them". Surely they just want the tenants to report the landlords who won't carry out their legal obligations All councils should be like Manchester.

Emma1973

The Enviromental Health Officers in Manchester are very very good, particularly against disrepair in private rented properties. They have to be, if you could see some of the properties.............................

Private Sector Renting team is a bit hit and miss, but the dedicated Landlord Advisor is very good, and is just there for private landlords to get info and help from.

As for making criminals out of landlords, they've only managed one! One prosecution for not having a licence out of several thousand!

tbs624

clutton wrote: »

tbs - Manchester city council takes its responsibilities as far as tenants are concerned to waaaay too much of an extreme - thats why i no longer have property in their area, they tend to treat landlords as if they are all criminals....

their literature to tenants assumes that all landlords need reporting to them.... so i dont retract my earlier post

Clutton you may possibly have had an individual experience of an overzealous council officer ( you don't clarify) but on a general note here's what Manchester's Council website says:

"Reporting repairs

When a repair needs doing, the tenant must tell the landlord in writing as soon as possible - or by phone if it's an emergency (such as a burst pipe).

The landlord has a 'reasonable time' to do the repair. There are no hard and fast rules about how long work should take; it depends on the urgency of the job. A blocked toilet should be repaired much more quickly than a sticking window for example.

If you are a tenant and the repair isn't done in a reasonable time, even after reminding the landlord, do not stop paying your rent. We can help - see accommodation problems.

We want all Manchester residents to live in a home that's secure, warm and in good repair. . .

We have legal powers to make your landlord tackle problems with the condition of your home - such as a poor repairs service, damp, fire risk, gas and electricity, health and safety, or inadequate kitchen or bathroom facilities.

Report a problem with your accommodation online.
Or contact your nearest Private Sector Housing local office. If you are not sure which one covers your area phone our enquiry line on ....."

So...... T advised write to LL to report repair, LL has "reasonable time" to effect repair , if LL doesn't deal with problem within reasonable time after T has reminded him/her , then get Manchester TRO support.

Sounds pretty standard unbiased stuff to me

theartfullodger

As you are abroad you'll be familiar with the HMRC non-resident landlord scheme & having 22% rent withheld for tax purposes....

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/CNR/nr_landlords.htm

Glad to here Manchester are pursuing another excellent Landlord...


Cheers!

Lodger

magicgenie

Sheesh! Can't get a bit of friendly advice here can you?!!? ;-)

< you need to contact them by phone and maybe fax as well, as a matter of urgency. They will take you to court if you do not pay this, and then you will have a CCJ. They really dislike what they see as incompetent landlords.... i have personal experience of manchester council - they are particularly pro-tenant. >
So are you experienced in these dealings. Are you saying they do not respond to the email address they put on bills?

< Don't you keep in regular contact with your letting agents?>
No, I pay them to manage it, I don't want to hear from them unless tehre is a problem out of the agreement we have.
< Don't you have money set aside for meeting your legal obligation to keep the property in a good state of repair? >
I do have money. But what business is that of yours. And how does this question relate to my question?

< Hang on, "works forced on" you? If your sister acts as your "correspondence address" whilst you are abroad, surely she would also have received the formal Notice of Action from the local Council? >
No, she did not.

< As you are abroad you'll be familiar with the HMRC non-resident landlord scheme & having 22% rent withheld for tax purposes....
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/CNR/nr_landlords.htm&gt;
Yes, many thanks.

< Glad to here Manchester are pursuing another excellent Landlord...
Cheers!
Lodger >

Bit unfair. I've been very unhappy with this agents help with managing my house (they are the only agent who will manage houses in this area - what to do?) after all, look at this small mess I'm in because they did not inform me.

< Glad to here Manchester are pursuing another excellent Landlord >
The tenant in this house of mine caused thousands and thousands of pounds worth of damage before he left. He cost me nearly another thousand going through the courts getting him out, when he left he owed more than 4,000 pounds worth of rent, so far i'd say i'm up to 8-9,000 pounds that this tenant has caused me. But thanks for your input.

Anyway, many thanks everyone.
brgds
Alex