LHA & renting from a relative

GobbledyGook

I think I've got a problem with my rental flat and I'm worried that I or my tenant could be in trouble.

Some of you might remember from my previous posts that I have had nothing to do with my father's family since I was a rchild.

I rent out a flat left to me by my Grandparents and 4 months ago I got new people in. I do the letting through an agency now so, tbh, I don't have that much to do with it. They deal with the advertising and credit checks and the likes.

My tenant and her husband have split up and she has put in a claim for Housing Allowance as she only works a few hours around her children. However I've just had some paperwork from the agency and she has reverted to her maiden name.

By the unusualness of her name she must be my father's niece. I haven't seen her since I was 7 so 25 or so years. She'd not have realised because I use my married name.

Is this going to be a problem for her or me? I'm hoping that the fact I haven't actually met her - the agents dealt with it all will show that it wasn't deliberate or anything, but the fact remains that she is (technically) my cousin.

I would actually much prefer that she didn't know, but I'm guessing that isn't going to be an option because I imagine it'll have to be declared to the housing people.

Any advice?
Thanks Gemma

fluffymovie

This shouldnt be an issue. The fact that you have let out the property before, would show that it is a commercial tenancy.

The claimant will be asked for the name of her landlord and she will normally give the agents details. When the council see the tenancy agreement, this would normally show your details and so both they and indeed, she, may realise there is a relationship but to be honest, it wouldn't stop me assessing a claim (and i work in HB)

GobbledyGook

Thanks for that.

She's already had her agreement and she hasn't realised the relationship because my surname is different and I have a very common first name.

I have let out the flat before many times and was on a list the council used to have of places who would accept HB tenants so it should be easy to show it is a commercial tenancy.

If she hasn't reverted her surname I may never have known. In many ways I wish she hadn't because it now means I have to let someone in my father's family know a lot about me. I'm wondering if she realises it is my childhood home she's renting - my father's family did know that recently because of a will. I'm wondering perhaps if her mother eventually stopped her and her brother having contact with them too.

I just hope the council are not suspicious about it. I have all the old paperwork though to show that my father was denied access so fingers crossed it'll be a simple affair.

RAS

It is a commercial let managed by an agency on a properrty that has been let previously, so no risk that it might be considered a contrived tenancy.

Do not assume she is related unless you have other proof - for example her date of birth and can confirm on the register of BMD that she is the child of your father's sibling.

I dealt with a rather unusually named person who proved to have a double (slight variation in first name and same second name and surname) born on the same day.

GobbledyGook

RAS - I'm going to check before I say anything to her. It probably sounds sneaky, but the council has marriage listings online so that you can order certificates so I'm going to order her marriage cert to check. I'm fairly sure though. It's a very uncommon name, I have never met another person with it who was not related in some way. That added to the fact that my father's family live not so far away; when I was a child there was 2 or 3 individual towns closeish to each other, whereas now they are all linked by the gazillion houses that have been built, and I know that I have a cousin around her age with that name (although I don't know my cousin's exact age) makes me quite sure.

I hope that I'm wrong though. Although it might be nice to have a cousin I have no way of knowing how close she is to her father or mine (although I don't actually know if either hers or mine are still alive tbh).

RAS

Hi

if you want a marriage certificate, you can get it from the local regsitry office rather than on-line - that is much cheaper. Say it is for family history purposes.

Even easier if you have access to the St Catherines Register in the local Family History Library, get the EA to tell you her date of birth and go and check the microfiches. That will give you both parents' surnames and initials, maybe first names.

GobbledyGook

It is the local council who have it online, they only charge 70p extra to post it out so tbh it is cheaper than parking nearby! They keep it cheap as they've got a tiny office so are trying to encourage folks to use the online version

Thanks for your help. I'm happier now I know that nobody will be in bother. I was just worried about the possibility of it being a problem that we hadn't declared it, rather than it being not allowed iyswim? Thanks