Renting and job being relocated - dilemma

PasturesNew

I'd not mention continuing to pay - you have to pay anyway so best not let him believe he'll get an easy life.

You might point out to him that the benefits for a single person aren't high enough to cover the full rent, so he can expect an increasing shortfall over time if you're not released (this might nit be true, depending on your age, area and rent) ... but he probably won't know how it works...

newsgroup_monkey

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/insurance/buildingsandcontent/9259888/Home-owners-leave-properties-without-sufficient-insurance.html

Just to back it up.

It's an odd one too - my contract says I have to notify my LL if my property is empty for more than 28 days. Apparently, from this thread there is a higher excess for the LL over 30 days and cover ends after 60 days.

sussexchick

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'd not mention continuing to pay - you have to pay anyway so best not let him believe he'll get an easy life.

Yes, I did think that myself but really unsure how to word the letter now. If I say that I will pay for advertising costs etc for a new tenant, he could potentially use the most expensive agent around these parts, not advertise for a tenant until say 2 months before it would have expired anyway (Oct 2013) :eek: And I would also still have to pay for the monthly rental.

Any ideas ?

moneyistooshorttomention

sussexchick wrote: »

So far I have written .....................

Due to unforseen employment circumstances, I am appealing to you to release me from the current tenancy agreement. Of course, I would continue to pay the agreed rent of £xxx until a replacement tenant could be found. (should anything further be added here ??? ) However, this would ultimately mean that your property would not be lived in.

I have also written ........................

Should you decide not to release me from the tenancy agreement, I will not be able to start my new job and this could have massive financial implications, potentially forcing me to claim housing benefit.

and now I am stuck !

Can't say tact and diplomacy are my strong points either:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

But lets have a go:

"I regret to say that I have been made redundant from my job. There is the possibility that I might be able to obtain an alternative position with this firm, but it would involve my having to move x miles away.

In order to be able to take up this alternative offer, I would need to be able to terminate my tenancy early.

So, I am faced with the dilemma of either:
- having to turn down the chance of this alternative position in order to continue with the tenancy as per our agreement but I would be likely to become unemployed and an HB claimant

OR

- take up this alternative position, but I would need to terminate the tenancy prematurely.

My preferred option is to take up this alternative position. I believe that, if I do not take up this alternative position, that it is likely that I would find that the redundancy culminated in my being unemployed for an indefinite period of time whilst I looked for a position locally.

The thing is that, should I have to continue with the lease, then I will have to go onto benefit for this indefinite period of time and my rent would come from the Local Housing Allowance payable for this area (which is £x per week - ie as you can see: it would be insufficient to cover the rent level). I would, of course, not wish to be in a position where I might find myself going into rent arrears against my will and would obviously be trying to find a local job as soon as I possibly could, but I have no idea how long this would take in the current economic climate.

Can I, accordingly, propose that you release me from the balance of this tenancy agreement? If you are willing to do this, I would, of course, continue to pay rent for a reasonable period of time until you find a replacement tenant (say 4 weeks) and would cover reasonable costs for finding a replacement tenant (eg an advert in the local paper, etc).

Perhaps you might care to ring me and we can find a mutually satisfactory way to deal with this situation - such that you don't lose any rent and I am able to take up this job in x location.

Looking forward to hearing from you."

duchy

Here's mine



Dear LL

I am writing to inform you of a change in my circumstances.
My current role is ceasing to exist and I am left with the choice of losing my job completely or accepting relocation to a new role in X town.

Obviously I would prefer to be employed and would like to take the position rather than remain here and face a possible long term of unemployment and needing to claim housing benefit.

My tenency agreement with you ends on 01 Oct <or whatever>
I am hoping we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement and would like to suggest rather than allow the term of the agreement to run with the property remaining empty or with a housing benefit claim that you seek new tenents and I cover the extra expenses (advertising etc) that you incur up to a reasonable and mutually agreed amount.

As you can appreciate in the current economic enviroment I cannot afford to not go where the work is but equally cannot afford two sets of rent either.

I can be contacted on 07 XXXXX if you would like to discuss this matter further and I hope we can together come to an agreement that is mutually satisfactory.

Yours Sincerely

sussexchick

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Can't say tact and diplomacy are my strong points either:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I did warn you !

You clearly had a better english education than I did !

Such wise words, I shall have a play around with that and he hopefully it will get me back on track.

Should he check the local housing market, he will see there are lots of rentals still available, in much better shape than this house, so he will know its going to be difficult trying to find another tenant.

moneyistooshorttomention

Well, somewhere between mine and Duchy's suggested letter - just pick the phrases you like from them both - then hopefully you should be able to work out what to say to him.

Good luck.

sussexchick

duchy wrote: »

Dear LL

I am writing to inform you of a change in my circumstances.
My current role is ceasing to exist and I am left with the choice of losing my job completely or accepting relocation to a new role in X town.

Obviously I would prefer to be employed and would like to take the position rather than remain here and face a possible long term of unemployment and needing to claim housing benefit.

My tenency agreement with you ends on 01 Oct <or whatever>
I am hoping we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement and would like to suggest rather than allow the term of the agreement to run with the property remaining empty or with a housing benefit claim that you seek new tenents and I cover the extra expenses (advertising etc) that you incur up to a reasonable and mutually agreed amount.

As you can appreciate in the current economic enviroment I cannot afford to not go where the work is but equally cannot afford two sets of rent either.

I can be contacted on 07 XXXXX if you would like to discuss this matter further and I hope we can together come to an agreement that is mutually satisfactory.

Yours Sincerely

Thank you for such a brilliantly worded letter. And many thanks also for taking the time to type this up

I shall piece together all your fantastic letters to form a fully completed product that you will all be proud of.

Thank you to everyone so far that has made such wonderful contributions :beer:
SC
x

tim123456789

newsgroup_monkey wrote: »

Can I also point out that his buildings insurance may well be void if there is no occupier for more than 30 days...... So it's in his interest to have someone in situ.

Surely that's why LLs have Landlord insurance, so as not to have restricted terms that they have no control over

tim

Tottyshouse

You can threaten the landlord re losing money if you are "forced" onto housing benefit, He can of course take you to court for any short fall and you would either end up having to pay up plus court fees or end up with a ccj. Neither is ideal. Also if you are in a joint tenancy you are both liable for the rent so the tenant with a job could end up with an attachment of earnings if needs be. Also until the day the tenancy ends it is the tenant who is responsbile for the property. The landlord has no right to enter the property and rightly so. If anything happened to the property whilst you had the tenancy - you would be responsible for the costs. I personally have sympathy with the OP - you can't get blood out of stone. But looking at it from the landlord's point of view - tenants are very good at knowing their rights within a fixed term tenancy until THEY want to breach the contract. Ultimately you signed up to a 12 month tenancy to give you the protection against eviction - you now want to break this contract - the reasons why are really no concern of the landlord. Legally you have to pay rent and any associated bills for the property until the tenancy ends. I would appeal to the son's better (and hopefully more sensible side) and offer a settlement. Veiled threats regarding possible rent arrears may backfire.