dodgy tenants

bearfreeman

I own 3 properties, got problems at 2.

One tenant refuses to pay any top up rent.

The other tenant has disappeared also owing top up rent, but now the main part of the rent has been stopped by the council.

Anyone got any thoughts on best way to deal with these oiks?

As far as I can see, the law seems to be on the side of the tenant, but they just seem to take the p***. The laws regarding letting seem very wrong, and need to be revamped!

Thanks,

SteveCat

You need to obviously evict them as quickly as possible, make sure you do this using the right methods and make sure you're clear in your reasons. Also warn them that finding future property will be hard once evicted as you will refuse references, obviously do not give a bad one.

Could i possibly ask a question? What methods did you use to get these Tenants in the 1st place? Did you perform the relevant checks?

barnaby-bear

bearfreeman wrote:

I own 3 properties, got problems at 2.

One tenant refuses to pay any top up rent.

The other tenant has disappeared also owing top up rent, but now the main part of the rent has been stopped by the council.

Anyone got any thoughts on best way to deal with these oiks?

As far as I can see, the law seems to be on the side of the tenant, but they just seem to take the p***. The laws regarding letting seem very wrong, and need to be revamped!

Thanks,

Sounds like LLs who avoid Housing Benefit may have a point. In private sector LLs always had employer details so could contact the boss and make trouble :eek:

Gorgeous_George

First one. I believe they need to be two months behind (or 8 weeks if on a weekly payment) before a court is likely to evict them. You can serve a Section 21 requiring them to leave (maybe so a relative can use the property ).

Second one. The council will not pay Housing Benefit if the claimant is not living at the property. I would take it that they have quit the property and suggest you make an effort to contact them to confirm this. If contact cannot be made, maybe you could smell gas as you walk past the property. This would allow you to legally force entry. When the source of the smell has been identified (and rectified by switching the cooker fully off) you could assess whether the tenant has indeed quit. Change the locks and re-let.

Another reason to avoid renting to HB claimaints in future.

Best wishes



GG

silvercar

tenants need to understand that the rent is their liability whether they get HB help or not. To refuse to pay the top up is like refusing to pay the agreed rent.

Worth remembering that tenants in receipt of HB generally have little spare money. To take on a tenant knowing they have to find a lot of top-up rent, you need to know that they have some support to make ends meet. This support should ideally take the form of a guarantor.

Gorgeous_George

I've recently taken a tenant on HB. Very nice chap and I see no problems - from him.

The HB office however, are another matter. Intrusive interrogation of my personal matters and threatening not to pay my tenat his HB if I did not answer their irrelevant questions.

And insurance. Cost me £60 extra because the tenant claims HB. Why?

No wonder there are so many adverts demanding 'No DSS' (even though it's now HB).



GG

prudryden

Gorgeous_George wrote:

I've recently taken a tenant on HB. Very nice chap and I see no problems - from him.

The HB office however, are another matter. Intrusive interrogation of my personal matters and threatening not to pay my tenat his HB if I did not answer their irrelevant questions.

And insurance. Cost me £60 extra because the tenant claims HB. Why?

No wonder there are so many adverts demanding 'No DSS' (even though it's now HB).



GG

Good luck GG!!

SteveCat

Gorgeous_George wrote:

I've recently taken a tenant on HB. Very nice chap and I see no problems - from him.

The HB office however, are another matter. Intrusive interrogation of my personal matters and threatening not to pay my tenat his HB if I did not answer their irrelevant questions.

And insurance. Cost me £60 extra because the tenant claims HB. Why?

No wonder there are so many adverts demanding 'No DSS' (even though it's now HB).



GG

They are without doubt a big risk, last year I had a problem Tenant on HB. She basically got with a group of local lads and was causing immense trouble in the house and in the street were she was renting our property. We had reports from local residents, the Police and the local authorities. We then had no choice but to evict her and at first her local council said they would fight it. Then the next stage went from this to them serving an ASBO on her and saying if I didn't evict her I would be served with one also. Unbelievable!

Voyager2002

barnaby-bear wrote:

Sounds like LLs who avoid Housing Benefit may have a point. In private sector LLs always had employer details so could contact the boss and make trouble :eek:

I suspect that this would break several laws. Besides which, most employers would tell the landlord to mind their own business.

Voyager2002

Gorgeous_George wrote:

I've recently taken a tenant on HB. Very nice chap and I see no problems - from him.

The HB office however, are another matter. Intrusive interrogation of my personal matters and threatening not to pay my tenat his HB if I did not answer their irrelevant questions.

And insurance. Cost me £60 extra because the tenant claims HB. Why?
GG

While there are many perfectly good tenants who receive housing benefit (I have been in this position at various times of my life) there are other people who are a landlord's and employer's nightmare, perhaps due to drugs and/or mental health problems. Statistically, people on HB are more likely than others to damage property, and so this is reflected in insurance premiums.

barnaby-bear

Voyager2002 wrote:

I suspect that this would break several laws. Besides which, most employers would tell the landlord to mind their own business.

??? Every LA I ever have had the "pleasure" to rent with has done an employer's reference and on a half month payment messing up on leaving one place - my employer was sent the missing money where is it letter.

To be honest if you have to pay your own rent and go to work to do it you are less likely to be a druggie, alcoholic, mentally ill etc... basically because such people aren't able to work.