Tenant have moved out without telling anyone.

Thrugelmir

tumbledowngirl wrote: »

so we cut them some slack when the rent started being paid late,

Don't, as you are running a business. You will find that people like children will push boundaries. When it comes to paying bills. The world is full of people (and businesses for that matter) that will find an excuse for not paying their bills on time. Once a soft spot is found then it will be exploited endlessly.

Guest101

tumbledowngirl wrote: »

The first tenants were a pair of 21 year olds, who apparently had no idea how to live independently.

The second tenants were a Romanian couple - perhaps that says it all.

Quick as you are to blame all landlords (I've read some of your other posts and it's clear you have a grudge against them), perhaps it's the mindset of certain tenants that is to blame - certainly our experience is that they think paying rent entitles them to the sun, moon AND stars...as opposed to *only* a secure, inhabitable property they can enjoy in peace, protected by rules and regulations that are weighted in their favour.

Victims? Hardly.

Wow u read the daily mail much? What's their nationality got to do with anything? There plenty of English tenants who behave the same I'm sure

Thrugelmir

tumbledowngirl wrote: »

We asked our agent what would be to stop us doing this, and he told us the tenants could claim harassment.

Then merely start the conversation by asking when the rent will be paid.

Pixie5740

If you don't want to speak with the tenants face to face you could send a rent statement to them showing what's been paid and what is owing since you know their new address.

tumbledowngirl

anselld wrote: »

That is one point of view. The other is the better you treat your tenants and the more you get to know them, the less likely they are to shaft you. The truth is no doubt somewhere in between.

...and that's where I am confused. Some responses say to treat tenants well, keep them sweet etc, and others say keep it firmly as a business arrangement, don't do them any favours etc.

My conclusion of what has happened is that our particular tenants would always have done exactly what suited them, whenever they felt like it. I'm sure there are plenty more tenants that wouldn't have done a flit, owing rent and without telling anyone in the same situation. I'll put it down to bad luck and move on.

tumbledowngirl

Guest101 wrote: »

Wow u read the daily mail much? What's their nationality got to do with anything? There plenty of English tenants who behave the same I'm sure

I said perhaps. They came with no credit checks, because of being immigrants, no references other than those provided verbally from our LA of an apparently satisfactory previous tenancy the agent had handled. No British bank account meant no standing order for rent...you get the idea. In an attempt to save money, they decided to seal up every window and complained that the house was cold...because they refused to put the heating on.

tumbledowngirl

franklee wrote: »

I'd suggest when the initial request is made it's better to say they can go if they pay all re-letting costs and rent up until the replacement tenant moves in. That way the LL gets co-operation with the re-letting and a clear end to the tenancy. Provided you weren't out of pocket switching tenants three months early would not have made a difference to you. In fact if the next tenant says long enough the LL will have saved a set of re-letting fees as the tenant leaving early will have paid them.

Whist you were perfectly entitled to give a flat no it hasn't left you in the best position as you now have to establish an end to the tenancy which will delay your re-letting. Although the old tenant is liable for the rent you also have the problem of collecting it which even if you win may only be paid in small amounts over a long time.

That said it seems bonkers for a tenant to move during their fixed term to such a nearby property as it seems they had no particular reason for moving. Given moving costs time and money, agent's fees can easily be a couple of hundred pounds, van hire, all the work of moving, changing utilities etc. why on earth did they bother? It makes no sense.

They have left the agreement 6 months early - expiry date was July 25th this year - so wouldn't have saved us any re-lettting fees.