Is my tenant playing me??

tbs624

missile wrote: »

Any tenant who asks for a rent reduction before moving in would ring alarm bells for me. Not because they are a "wrong un" but can they afford it? Will they be a difficult tenant?

Those who haggle over price are not necessarily without the means to pay the full price. What do the majority of MSE members/readers do with anything they need to pay for?

missile wrote: »

As I said, I would follow up their references to see if they had a history of late payment.

That should of course be standard practice regardless of whether potential T is a haggler

missile wrote: »

Two people come to view, one is happy to pay the rent asked and has impecable references. The other asks for a rent reduction and needs a guarantor. My decision is easy. :A

Of course a T who does not need a guarantor would be the obvious choice there for most LLs.

However your original comment was simply on Ts who asked for a rent reduction.

The warning bells would have been ringing when she asked for a rent reduction before she had moved in. No matter how nice / genuine she appeared, I would not have let to her.

Presumably then you'd turn down a T who had impeccable references but who asked for a discount on the proposed rent figure, in favour of the one who who would pay the full price but needed a guarantor to do so.........?

PasturesNew

Wobblydeb wrote: »

The fact that she needed a guarantor suggests there may have been some issue? I haven't needed one since being a student. What did your EA say about the checks?

Not necessarily - I've been asked for a guarantor ... and would expect most agents to ask for one now (which is why I avoid agents if at all possible)... simply because I don't have a job. I am not on benefits, I just don't have a job.... and the box-tickers don't understand that. Computer says No.

On the other hand, I couldn't get/wouldn't ask a guarantor..... which is why I don't put myself in a position of being asked for one.

princeofpounds

Anyone who thinks someone who negotiates over rent is a problem lives in lala land where grateful tenants tip their hat to the friendly landlord as he walks by swinging his cane and puffing on his cigar.

rentergirl

We have all been in the situation of financial hell. A bank once 'lost' my account - I kept speaking to the landlord, kept him informed, paid in full and bought a bottle of whisky by way of an apology. Your tenant is right about getting rid of the letting agents - it will save you both money, but that is not the problem now. I agree that sending an S.21 is the way forward. It will make her realise that she will be evicted eventually. If you do evict her, then it's always difficult.

bikingbarney

rentergirl wrote: »

We have all been in the situation of financial hell. A bank once 'lost' my account - I kept speaking to the landlord, kept him informed, paid in full and bought a bottle of whisky by way of an apology. Your tenant is right about getting rid of the letting agents - it will save you both money, but that is not the problem now. I agree that sending an S.21 is the way forward. It will make her realise that she will be evicted eventually. If you do evict her, then it's always difficult.

our tenant has not kept us informed, its only when I realised the rent hadnt gone in for the month and I started chasing her she started with excuses!

tbs624

rentergirl wrote: »

We have all been in the situation of financial hell. A bank once 'lost' my account - I kept speaking to the landlord, kept him informed, paid in full and bought a bottle of whisky by way of an apology.

In the OP's case it appears that the T has established a pattern of not keeping to the tenancy agreement Ts and Cs, ie her obligation to pay the rent in full and on time. Neither has she kept the OP informed nor apparently attempted to bring the rent payments up to date since the apparent "bank problem" at the start of the month. Doesn't really sound like a genuine one-off which can be resolved with a bottle of whisky

rentergirl wrote: »

Your tenant is right about getting rid of the letting agents - it will save you both money, but that is not the problem now.

OP has posted that he currently serves in the Forces ( previous thread refers to being in Afghanistan) so not using an LA may make things a tad more fraught than they already are

missrlr

Serve notice to quit ASAP, get a better tenant. Then go boot agent into touch also, they should have been on top of this. New agent new tenant time I feel. I operate a zero BS policy, so if a tenant comes and says problem is xyz and solution I propose is abc, I listen and help if I can, even to the point of installment payments - if not bye bye time. Learned the hard way I am afraid.