tenants have moved and we are getting loads of unpaid bills

Suzy36

Help!!! what can I do but phone and tell everyone who sends us bills from previous tenants, they are adding up to about £3000. so far!!
Can I somehow find out who there new landlady is and contact her. where do I start. Thanks

suelizab

Return to sender

McKneff

Thats all you need to do, or cross the address out, write on 'no longer at this address' or addressee not known and pop back in the post.

You shouldnt open any of this mail.

Swan_2

McKneff wrote: »

Thats all you need to do, or cross the address out, write on 'no longer at this address' or addressee not known and pop back in the post.

You shouldnt open any of this mail.

why? it's not against the law to open mail addressed to someone else

kittykat100

Swan wrote: »

why? it's not against the law to open mail addressed to someone else

yes it is, via the Post Office Act

shaymenRup

The Postal Services Act 2000 makes it an offence under section 84 by 'General Offence of Interference with mail'

Easiest thing to do is advised above. Return to sender - not known at the address.

Swan_2

kittykat100 wrote: »

yes it is, via the Post Office Act

shaymenRup wrote: »

The Postal Services Act 2000 makes it an offence under section 84 by 'General Offence of Interference with mail'

Easiest thing to do is advised above. Return to sender - not known at the address.

it's only an offence if you open the mail with the intent to commit fraud

Werdnal

Are any of them utility bills? If so, do all the utilities and council tax now have your name for future charges?

If they are other bills, for instance, credit cards, loan accounts etc, then just mark as "No longer at this address" and drop back in the nearest post box.

pizzle84

Why are you opening mail not addressed to you thats just rude and wrong! fine the bills are to your address but not to you!!! dont touch them.... seems your just being nosey by opening someone elses mail. Just send it back!!!

G_M

shaymenRup wrote: »

The Postal Services Act 2000 makes it an offence under section 84 by 'General Offence of Interference with mail'

Correct, but once it is delivered to the correct address on the envelope it is no longer 'mail'.

The Act applies to mail in transit ie prior to delivery.

You can open the mail provided you do not do so with the intention of commiting fraud.

Finding the new landlord is difficult unless you have something to go on: work address? family?

If you have an area, try the Electoral Register.

There are professional companies who will trace people for a price.

kitschkitty

Are you the new tenant or the landlord or owner of the house?

If you are the new tenant then you can return to sender or you can give them to your landlord/letting agent if they have a forwarding address for the last tenants (otherwise they will advise you to just return to sender).

If you bought the house, then you need only return to sender.

If you are the landlord and it's your tenant who has left, you should have taken a forwarding address, but as you haven't you should simply return to sender.

There is no point nor need to contact any companies by phone and in all honesty it is better to return to sender all this post to retain the past tenants privacy.