adding spouse to a tenancy

Werdnal

bjbyorkshire wrote: »

How do I keep this thread easy to find after a few days without having to run down every page to look for my original post title please?

If you add the page to your "Favourites" on your internet browser (Explorer or whatever you use), you can just click on that and it come right back here.

Why does your rent guarantee insurance change by the wife moving in? Your tenant is still your tenant - nothing has changed, and no need to add "her" to "his" agreement. Have you actually seen the clause that states it is invalid if anyone else lives there? Surely a "spouse" is part of the household - not like he is moving his "dodgy mate from down the pub" in. I would be inclined to challenge that clause with your agent/insurance provider, as if it specifically prohibits a "spouse" moving in, I feel it is actually discriminatory and unfair!

Mozzanov

bjbyorkshire wrote: »

How do I keep this thread easy to find after a few days without having to run down every page to look for my original post title please?

Either make a bookmark, or go to your subscriptions in the user control panel:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/subscription.php?do=viewsubscription&folderid=all

You can even make a custom folder from there for it.

bjbyorkshire

Werdnal wrote: »

If you add the page to your "Favourites" on your internet browser (Explorer or whatever you use), you can just click on that and it come right back here.

Why does your rent guarantee insurance change by the wife moving in? Your tenant is still your tenant - nothing has changed, and no need to add "her" to "his" agreement. Have you actually seen the clause that states it is invalid if anyone else lives there? Surely a "spouse" is part of the household - not like he is moving his "dodgy mate from down the pub" in. I would be inclined to challenge that clause with your agent/insurance provider, as if it specifically prohibits a "spouse" moving in, I feel it is actually discriminatory and unfair!

The EA explained to me that I can if I want to just say she can move in but then if he should default on the rent she cannot then be chased to pay it as she is not a tenant. They said that this will invalidate the rent guarantee agreement!! I agree with you, he is my tenant not both of them.

I will not do anything until the new wife has had her rant at the EA first. I haven't as yet been contacted by the EA, they haven't sent me a letter to say that the wife is wanting to move in - it was the tenant who rang me to let me know that they are not happy with what the EA has written to them and that if this happens they may well think about finding another place to move to. I made contact with some minion at the EA to find out the facts but no I haven't seen the contract stating the terms of the rent guarantee scheme. I think perhaps I should just await some official contact from the EA before I ask to see the terms and conditions which state that this will invalidate the rent guarantee. I have perhaps jumped in a bit too soon to try to sort this out as I felt that I wanted to keep my tenant on side if at all possible.

I made the soon to be married couple a nice home made wedding card and gave them our good wishes and said that we hoped that they would remain as our tenants and hubby and I looked at a couple of things the tenant wanted fixing so we have parted on very amicable terms. I feel I have done my goodwill bit and think I will just butt out at this point until I am contacted by the EA and asked what I want to happen, at that point I will ask about the extortionate fee and why it is necessary to credit check her if he is my tenant.

Thanks, I have added this page to my Favourites and so should be able to find the thread quicker now.

Werdnal

bjbyorkshire wrote: »

The EA explained to me that I can if I want to just say she can move in but then if he should default on the rent she cannot then be chased to pay it as she is not a tenant. They said that this will invalidate the rent guarantee agreement!! I agree with you, he is my tenant not both of them.

I suspect your agent is interpreting the clause of the guarantee scheme to favour themselves, ie allow them to gain a referencing fee for the "new" tenant.

What they say is true - 2 tenants, 2 income streams etc, is always a wise move if rent arrears, damage claims etc, are warranted in the future, as you can name both on any court action you make. Without the "wife" on the tenancy she has no responsibility for rent or damages, therefore cannot be liable should anything go wrong.

Agents are on a win-win here, as if they p1ss off your tenants and force them to move, they will receive fees for finding new ones, so no skin of their noses to insist on a fee.

However, I still think they are talking total Cr*p over the wife not being named making any difference whatsoever to the guarantee - you are guaranteeing your tenant on the tenancy and nothing will change by wifey moving in at all. Ask to see the clause that covers this in the guarantee policy, don't just take your money grabbing agent's word for it. Or suggest that if they insist on making the wife pay, you will be approaching other agents to transfer management of this tenancy elsewhere - to an agent who will manage the tenancy your way! Remember, you are employing the agent, not the other way around. Your commission pays their wages, and like any other employee, if they are failing to comply with your requirements, you take action to make them improve, or show them the door!

bjbyorkshire

Thanks Werdnal, your advice seems really sound to me so I will still sit tight until I am approached and see what exactly new wife says to them. I can't see them moving on too quickly as its obvious they like the house and the area suits their convenience. They have paid for Sky to be put in as not a good tv reception if no Sky and they would have to go down the avenue of paying for credit checks and everything else again after only 6 months. He was just bluffing when he said they might have to look for somewhere else (I hope). Yes I will insist on looking at the rent guarantee documentation if it comes to it as my tenancy agreement just has one paragraph telling me what this entails but no great in depth details.

Thanks also for the heads up on the favourites bar. I knew about it but didn't really know how to use it, now I do it makes finding stuff in other threads on other Forums so much easier too.

Thanks all