Dealing with difficult tenants!

iwillretireatfifty

Hi

This is my first post, so please be gentle!!

Has any landlords out there encountered tenants that wouldn't allow access to the property even though they have been given more than 24 hours notice?

If so, how did you gain entry? Can you involve the police, do you have to get some kind of court order, did you just let yourself in?

We are due to do an inspection on our property, the first one in a year and the tenants have written to us to say that they will not let us in (nice eh!)!! So any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

prudryden

Join the NLA and call their legal helpline immediately. Are you using a letting agent?

Gorgeous_George

I'd serve a notice to quit (S21).

They may just want privacy. Let them find it in somewhere else.



GG

Doozergirl

I've been a landlady and I'm now a tenant also.

I did not request an inspection of my property because I felt it an intrusion. As a tenant, to be completely frank, I find it sickening that someone should come round to check how I live. They ran reference checks before we moved in and I think it's easy enough to see from outside whether it's being looked after or not.

If you don't like it because you don't trust them, then serve notice.

An opinion.

Gorgeous_George

It's reasonable to ask for any clause requiring an inspection in the agreement to be removed before signing.

Once signed, the agreement should be adhered to.



GG

Doozergirl

Well, I think the clause is worthy if the LL thinks there is a *need* to enter the property. I don't think it is fair to enter someone's home to check if they're keeping it the way they want it.

If you can't deal with the way they treat it, don't let it out! I'm sure it doesn't take long to trash a house

iwillretireatfifty

I sympathise with you Doozergirl. I was a tenant also and it isn't nice to have your home inspected. We are fabulous landlords and do have other properties, we take tenants on HB, with lots of animals and children etc and are fairly relaxed - as long as they pay the rent!

We have served S21 for them to leave 13th April.

However, we require an inspection really now so we can see what state the property is in so we can have an idea of the timescale it is going to take to repair any damage etc done, in order to organise a date for new tenants to move in IYKWIM!

It is obvious from outside (letterbox is now missing LOL!) that they aren't the most respectfull of tenants along with complaints from neighbours!! Hence the need to inspect it.

I have no doubt that we are going to have to go down the Possession Order route from the courts, but in the meantime want to gain entry.

Has anyone been stuck in this position?

All replies gratefully received, so TIA.

PayDay

If they are paying the rent on time and the property looks like it is being looked after, then why would you want to upset the tenants and risk losing them? There are a lot of BTLs out there, so why risk having your property empty?

I am always grateful to have good tenants in my properties and leave them alone in their home.

Doozergirl

I'm sorry to hear that OP. Of course, moving out time is when you would expect to able to inspect so I will bow out and let you get on with it!

It's bit quiet on a Friday night, for obvious reasons but there are lots of people that can offer advice. https://www.landlordzone.co.uk ? is also very good for this sort of thing, I bet there's already lots of threads there that you can refer to

prudryden

Be prepared to take them all the way. To include a court order for attachment of earnings if sufficient damage is noted.

iwillretireatfifty

Thanks for all your replies. We are due to call round to the tenants in an hour and I know for a fact that they are not going to let us in.

There must be someone out there that has been in this position before?!?!

Any advice?