Tenancy up today - LA closed until 2nd Jan

silvercar

cwcw wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, I think I'll go with the email and letter. To be clear, there are no new tenants lined up yet so it will remain vacant for a while, and the checkout on Thursday is not a cleaner, it's an inventory check by a 3rd party company which I'd like to be there for.

You will have no right to be at the checkout on Thursday as you tenancy will have already ended, so your attendance relies on goodwill. Safest to take photos as you leave today.

cwcw

silvercar wrote: »

You will have no right to be at the checkout on Thursday as you tenancy will have already ended, so your attendance relies on goodwill. Safest to take photos as you leave today.

My mistake, checkout is 2nd Jan, which is of course Wednesday not Thursday. We have already arranged to meet the inventory company there.

Wyre

Take pictures of the closed Letting Agency and of you posting the keys maybe? Along with your letter and email it has to all add up.

alta

silvercar wrote: »

You will have no right to be at the checkout on Thursday as you tenancy will have already ended, so your attendance relies on goodwill. Safest to take photos as you leave today.

This is incorrect, you have the right to be at the check-out, infact the Inventory Co, has to facilitate this as best as possible. If you were refused the right to be there, then the deposit sheme can make judgement against the LL.

As said write letter and pop it through the door, email them. You legally do not end your tenacy until the keys are returned, but with the Xmas holidays, and them not being available this should be different. Also putting them through the door is a risk that most agents will not take. What happens if the agent says they were not there, or the tenant says he put them through?

G_M

alta wrote: »

This is incorrect, you have the right to be at the check-out, infact the Inventory Co, has to facilitate this as best as possible. If you were refused the right to be there, then the deposit sheme can make judgement against the LL.

More garbage from this poster....
alter - please quote the statute, or common law, that gives a tenant this right. Can't find it? Surprise!

OP - To cover yourself and ensure you end the tenancy on the right date, return the keys.

As advised, put them through the letter box and do one or more of the following:
* have a witness
* take a photo
* include a dated letter

In case you are not given the opportunity to attend the inspection, take photos of the property so you can, if necessary, show you left it clean (don't forget inside the oven, fridge etc)!

franklee

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Personally, I'd put the keys in an envelope with the property address on it, post them through the agent's letter-box and have a reliable witness watch you do it.

I wouldn't put the address on keys to be unattended on the agent's office floor. Surely the tenant's name or the landlord's name would be enough for the agent to identify them whist making it harder for anyone who broke in the agent's office to find which property they are for. Agree any keys deposited should be in an envelope do they do not look like keys lying about on the internal doormat.

Another option is to post them back through the letterbox (in an envelope for disguise) at the property itself so long as the tenant knows the landlord or agent has a spare set as well as a letter through the agent's door explaining what's been done and why. Plus confirmation that the tenant will be attending the checkout inspection.

As for the checkout inspection as the tenant knows the time of the appointment I'd just turn up then.

propertyman

Let them know TODAY the final readings, and put it into the landlords name see your tenancy c/o the agent.

DO NOT BE WORRIED!

Your tenancy ended today, that's it They failed to contact you to make arrangements, so you do as best you could.

You tried to return the keys and they weren't open.

I'd deliver the letter but hold back the keys until tomorrow on the basis that you didn't think it was safe.

cwcw

propertyman wrote: »

Let them know TODAY the final readings, and put it into the landlords name see your tenancy c/o the agent.

DO NOT BE WORRIED!

Your tenancy ended today, that's it They failed to contact you to make arrangements, so you do as best you could.

You tried to return the keys and they weren't open.

I'd deliver the letter but hold back the keys until tomorrow on the basis that you didn't think it was safe.

Thanks, this is what we ended up doing as I really didn't feel good about leaving a stash of keys at a closed letting agent office. They don't open tomorrow either as it's New Years Day, they're only open from Wednesday.

The letter dropping off was witnessed (taking photos of it seemed a bit extreme though so didn't go that far..) and it included that we had tried, that we weren't made aware they'd be closed on our last day, that for security reasons I didn't want to leave the keys on their doormat and also our final meter readings. They will be getting their keys back in person as soon as they re-open.

No need to take photos inside as I will be there for the checkout. The company arranged the date and time with US, not the LA. Since it's on Wednesday morning then I can go there and then drop the keys back afterwards and all is done.

I wasn't too worried before I read some replies on here but now I am a bit edgy that we will be robbed of a month's rent! We told them in writing that today would be our last day, they confirmed that in writing, but nobody ever told us they would be closed so there'd be no way to hand back the keys. I assumed NYE would be a normal working day, at least in the morning. Since they also don't open Sundays then we couldn't even leave a day early. Surely under these circumstances no judge would find in their favour if they did try it on?! :eek:

Thrugelmir

cwcw wrote: »

Surely under these circumstances no judge would find in their favour if they did try it on?! :eek:

A judge would consider such a matter a waste of the Courts time if such a case was brought. Sometimes common sense prevails.