Advice on Letting

dealchaser

Hi, I am letting a property and my current tenants have been there for about 3 years now. They have called me today to say they are having problems with their neighbour to see if there is anything I can do. I also received a call from the local police to let me know that the neighbour has mental health problems also asking if there is anything I can do.
I am at a loss about what to do. Does anyone have any ideas. I cannot offer them somewhere else to stay so what are my options. Thanks for any advice.

G_M

There is clearly nothing you can do about the neighbour - this is a) beyond your control and b) none of your business. Unless of course you know the neighbour and have an ongong relationship.

As for your tenants - much depends what they want, and what you want.

You could allow them to leave the tenancy via an Early Surrender (you make no mention of the type of tenancy in force) if that is what they want.

You could offer them somewhere else if you have it. Or leave their onward accomodation up to them.

But of course you'll be left with the problem of an empty property with a know neighbour problem - which might make re-letting difficult, or lead to another similarly unhappy tenant.

Or you could do nothing and leave the tenancy as it is, leaving the decision of whether they stay/leave up to your tenants (and again subject to whatever tenancy type is in force).

dealchaser

Thank you. This is the way I was thinking but I have something nagging in the back of my mind. What is something happens to the tenant? Now that he has told me about the neighbour and the police have confirmed that the neighbour has mental health problems do I have some duty of care to the tenant. By the way he has an assured shorthold tenancy.

Werdnal

I cannot understand why the police have contacted you. Are you also LL of the "neighbour"? If not, I do not know what you or they think you can do about the situation.

I assume your tenants are adults and can look after themselves? Advise them that if they have any concerns about the behaviour of the neighbour, then they should contact the police to report it. The police may already have notified social services and other authorities to monitor the neighbour anyway.

I appeciate your obvious concern for the welfare of your tenants which is admirable in any LL, but you cannot police or control the neighbour's situation, and other than offering your tenants a "surrender" of their tenancy, to allow them to move elsewhere, what else are they expecting?

If you did release them, I assume you would want to let property again, so back to square 1.

G_M

dealchaser wrote: »

....What is something happens to the tenant? Now that he has told me about the neighbour and the police have confirmed that the neighbour has mental health problems do I have some duty of care to the tenant.

No.

You are not responsible for the neighbour's actions.

Nor are you responsible for how your tenant lives or what they do in their home. They are adults.

Your responsibility extends to providing them with a property, as described in the tenancy agreement and inventory, which complies with the relevant statutes and regulations (gas safety, heating, structural integrity etc).

dealchaser

Thanks to you all. I just wanted to make sure I was not responsible in some way.

Yorkie1

Now that he has told me about the neighbour and the police have confirmed that the neighbour has mental health problems do I have some duty of care to the tenant

Further to the comments on previous posts and on a slight tangent, clearly we know nothing about the neighbour's behaviour which has given rise to these concerns (and no need for you to post details up).

I recognise that there may be valid reason for fears about your T's welfare in the particular circumstances of the case, and this comment is not directed at the OP or anyone else on this thread, but I just wanted to correct a general assumption in society that people with mental ill health are a threat to others. As a general rule they are far more likely to be a threat to themselves or to be vulnerable to others' behaviour.