Advice please - being properly done over :-(

mchale

Won't help you get your money back, but put the sh1ts name on here http://www.landlordreferencing.co.uk/ also if wife was on the TA put her name on as well.

TitchTori

Wow, I went to bed last night a little despondent at no responses but you all came through with great advice - thank you so much

TitchTori

tbs624 wrote: »

If you are still letting the property, hopefully you will have vetted your current Ts properly. If your OH is away a lot and you are soon due to give birth your best bet is probably to seek out a reliable Letting Agent.

The property was done through a reliable Letting Agent and they were vetted. Where the house is had two choices of Estate Agent and neither did a managed service, just introduction. I think he just went a bit wild after he split up with his wife and the Citizens Advice Bureau advices him to not pay his rent according to him - bizarre thing to admit!!

Thanks for taking the time to respond, great food for thought.

TitchTori

tbs624 wrote: »

The majority of that figure presumably represents the unpaid rent

Correct, I could have gone into more detail, garage needed completely emptying, cooker needed steam clean, dog poo on the floor, dead goldfish and contents of goldfish bowl in toilet, used condoms on the floor.... The guy who did the clearance said it was the worst he'd seen.

There was no extravagant redecoration!!

poppysarah

So it's all loss and not improvement - your accountant will tell you whether you can roll it over more than one year.

Benji

I notice you are located in Fife - was the property in England or Scotland?

kingstreet

Benji wrote: »

I notice you are located in Fife - was the property in England or Scotland?

Ahem

this is my only house which is in Manchester

tbs624

TitchTori wrote: »

........ the Citizens Advice Bureau advices him to not pay his rent according to him - bizarre thing to admit!!
.

yep because clearly that's what all CAB advisers would say to any T whose life was going belly up - "go put the roof over your head at risk". Bovine manure from your T I think.

If the property is in Manchester, there are more than 2 LAs to use- their office doesn't have to be immediately on the doorstep. As soon as a T misses a rent payment you have to be pro-active and unfortunately a relationship breakdown will often lead to financial difficulties. I'm not a huge fan of LAs but there *some* reliable/experienced ones who offer a full management set up and in your circumstances I'd be seeking one out. Worth remembering that no specific training knowledge or expertise is required to be able to call yourself a Letting Agent, so preferable to find one who is at least signed up to a code of practice, ie ARLA, NALs, et al. You could try the local LL Association for personal recommendations.

I can't agree with mchale's suggestion on using the people to whom he links. There has been a whole thread on here about the data protection issues involved. You have a non-settled court judgement against the former T and that would be flagged up in any standard tenant credit checks.

Hope you manage to get further resolve.

mchale

tbs624 wrote: »

I can't agree with mchale's suggestion on using the people to whom he links. There has been a whole thread on here about the data protection issues involved.

So its ok to data protect a criminal who steals a LL's income, to hell with DP name & shame the little !!!!, you might save another LL the hassle you have had.

tbs624

mchale wrote: »

So its ok to data protect a criminal who steals a LL's income, to hell with DP name & shame the little !!!!, you might save another LL the hassle you have had.

CCJ does not = criminal conviction. The OP has not indicated that the former T was charged and convicted of any criminal act - it's a debt , and a breach of contract, under civil law.

As already stated, a LL running a standard "credit check" would be made aware that this particualr T had an unsettled CCJ against their name.