fraudulet tenants and other bits and bobs

real1314

ets99 wrote: »

the tenants paid one month in advance for the month and they paid another month as an advance.

That other month as an advance is actually a deposit. It doesn't matter what you called it, the law will regard it as what it appears to be.

The fact is they signed a new contract and there was paperwork going back and forth so this substantiates the fact that they were planning on staying further.
If they signed a renewal contract, what do the letters matter in proving they were going to stay? The contract does that anyway.

On the back off their desire to stay, i renewed my tenancy with my landlord. You question why did i bring up the allegations of fraud in the eve that the first agreement was coming to end - this is because i just wanted to ensure that they were no planning to do anything like this again.
But you don't KNOW it was fraud. It could quite easily (and most probably) have been a simple error by the utility provider.

With regard to them departing on that eve, well that's their story. I went to to the property several times thereafter and somebody was clearly at the property but did not open the door. My keys were not returned and eventually, it looked like the property was vacant. Since they had not given me the keys back i then had to break the locks.
So, they haven't told you they have actually left? And you think they've been back and forth? And someone was actually in the property at one point?

So, you broke in and changed the locks? Oh dear. You really need to either give up renting or learn a hell of a lot more about the law.

With regard to utility bills, transferring gas and electricity supply to new supplier (the previous supplier had closed down my old account when i settled it the day i moved out) But suppliers mess things up all the time. AND pretending (deception) to me which there is no evidence of AND providing false information such as my old land line number (obtained through opening mail in my name) do you have proof of this? AND giving a false increase meter reading (to avade units) is deception well, it might be, but it would be between them and the utility company and identity fraud only if it was actually fraud, of which you have no evidence.

Further, a lot can be done with utility bills in someone else name. Had i not found out in error that they had entered into a legally binding contract using my name, god knows just how much debt they could have left me in. I had stipulated clearly in the tenancy the tenant was to keep all bills in their name and the landlord would not be responsible. The utility company have told me to report matter to the police and are currently investigating. So sorry, I don't agree with you.


Yes being a landlord is a tough job with self assessment (yes i file 6 each year), losses made etc. but things could be that little bit easier if you were dealing with genuine honest people in life.

Thanks peeps for the advice. btw the advance is now lodged although the scheme i've lodged with says they don't usually accept advance rents as they do not consider it to be a deposit. The other two scheme however do accept.

The scheme are wrong. What you did, in taking 2 months "rent in advance" is a well know side-step around the deposit registration rules, and is not treated as rent, but as a deposit.

mlz1413

OP you took advance rent which is outside the deposit scheme so your tenants could not have sued you for not using a deposit scheme. Now you have put the advance into a scheme you are clearly showing that you did take it as a deposit and just didn't want to use a scheme until you had to - regardless of if you had the knowledge or not these are the facts you have presented.

Why do you do 6 tax returns - are you into identity fraud and so are treating your tenants as being the same as you?

I'd draw a line under this, learn your responsibilities and move on.

If the tenants take you to court then get legal advise - paid for legal advise and let the judge decide who (if anyone) committed fraud.

I would also check your credit file - to see if your tenants are now linked as alias's to you.

evoke

Jeez. 6 self-assessments per year being filed by the OP. LOL. How many names are you registered under with the tax office???