Help! Is this legal?

Yargo1

Can someone advise me on this please.

My parents rent out a property. And we have no found out that the tenants who have just vacated had changed the electricity suppliers to the property. This is even though it was a clause in the contract that they were not to do that!

Is this legal?

Also the problem now is that it seems to be a keyfob thingy that you apparently take to post office to top up?

what can my parents do ? to get off a pre payed meter and back to thier names?

Any and all advice welcome.

ILW

It would be normanl fro a tenant to have the electicity account in their own name. Your parents are not liable or responsible for it. New tenants can make their own arrangements.

scottishblondie

I think they are allowed to do that. Forcing tenants to stay with your choice of suppliers sounds like an unfair clause to me tbh, and probably wouldn't be enforceable. Are you sure that they have actually changed suppliers, or could it be that the energy supplier has made the tenants go onto a prepayment meter? If they were having trouble paying their bills then it is not unheard of for a supplier to do this to ensure that they get paid.

Also bills should all be in the tenants name. If your parents keep them in theirs then they are leaving themselves open to problems should the tenants run up massive bills and then disappear!! If they are getting in new tenants then allow them to make their own arrangements.

Lazzza

If their use of a particular supplier causes you concern (i.e. costs or disadvantages a new tenant) then charge them at the end to change it back to the way it was.

DannyboyMidlands

Jeez, do your parents also insist that they shop at Sainsbury's and buy their clothes from M&S? Who the tenant pays for leccy has nothing to do with the landlord.

Yargo1

DannyboyMidlands wrote: »

Jeez, do your parents also insist that they shop at Sainsbury's and buy their clothes from M&S? Who the tenant pays for leccy has nothing to do with the landlord.

Hardly think your tone back is necessary. Im merely asking a question!

My parents let the property through an agent. They had put the clause in that they did not want the supplier changed. which the tenants had agreed to. whether it be fair or not is not the question. a contract was signed in which they agreed not to.

My parents arent ogres! they handed the renting of the property to the agents and it was there stipulation that the clause was in it.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I will get my parents to see if there are cost implications to change back. But seeing as they had to have the bailiffs in to get the property back i doubt they will have any luck in getting the ex tenants to contribute!

serious_saver

Changing to a pre-paid meter is usually free but changing back might cost. If you haven't returned their deposit yet check with the supplier if it will cost anything and your may then have a case for retaining part of their deposit.

Unless you are providing the accommodation with bills included they are within their rights to change supplier.

***EDIT***

I just read your post above and if it got to the point where you had to get the bailiffs in it seems likely that they weren't paying their bills. In which case there is a very good chance that the supplier put the pre-pay meter in because of this.

Yargo1

serious_saver wrote: »

Changing to a pre-paid meter is usually free but changing back might cost. If you haven't returned their deposit yet check with the supplier if it will cost anything and your may then have a case for retaining part of their deposit.

Unless you are providing the accommodation with bills included they are within their rights to change supplier.

my parents have to take legal action against the letting company. It transpires that the tenants never paid the full deposit and have not paid any rent for the last 4 months!

Seems unfair that it is free to change but that the owner may have to pay to change back in my opinion.

Thanks for your reply, i will get in touch with the supplier to see what we can do. I wanted to post on here as this board has supplied me with so much friendly useful information in the past and ongoing.

DannyboyMidlands

"My parents arent ogres! they handed the renting of the property to the agents and it was there stipulation that the clause was in it."

The agents are just that, agents of the property owner. The owner is the boss.

Yargo1

DannyboyMidlands wrote: »

"My parents arent ogres! they handed the renting of the property to the agents and it was there stipulation that the clause was in it."

The agents are just that, agents of the property owner. The owner is the boss.

My Parents live overseas. They had never rented before. They left it all to the agents. So in effect they passed all handling of it to them.

Thanks Dannyboy

ILW

May be better to leave the pre-payment meter there and let the next tenent make their own choice.