Former tenant

SerialRenter

Did you refund her the two weeks before her tenancy agreement stated it would end? or did she only pay half the rent for that month?

You could perhaps be able to convince a court that you has both mutually agreed to end the tenancy if either of the above are true. However, without anything in writing, or notification on the day she left it could be difficult.

If you've accepted payment for the whole month and didn't agree (in writing) that this was an early termination fee of sorts, then she would have retained exclusive possession of the property. In which case you have illegally evicted her.

I suggest you invite her to the property to collect her gas bottle and to sign something that states she gave up the property on the day she left.

Could you get the family friend you did the favour for to have a word with her and convince her to sign a surrender of the property?

Claudiab251274

We have it in writing shed agreed to leave when she did and asked us to write her a reference for her new property which we did. She's been told on a daily basis the garage is open to collect her bottle but she won't come and has told the police were holding her property to ransom which were not

mrginge

You still haven't said when she paid rent up to.

Which is actually the most important point.

DRP

Claudiab251274 wrote: »

We have it in writing shed agreed to leave when she did and asked us to write her a reference for her new property which we did. She's been told on a daily basis the garage is open to collect her bottle but she won't come and has told the police were holding her property to ransom which were not

Claudiab251274 wrote: »

She gave her notice via text messages ...

Do you have it in writing (letter, or at least email) or only via text message?

Billie-S

Didn't realise you could give notice by text message.

Wyndham

Billie-S wrote: »

Didn't realise you could give notice by text message.

I'm pretty sure you can't (if you want it to be valid).

theartfullodger

If this isn't a wind-up or trolling then it's a great example for new landlords on what not to do...

Cheers!

[Deleted User]

Giving a reference before viewing the empty property or after (even worse).

And from your first post, I have a feeling you don't have a clue why all this could have happened to you. Even with a management company a LL should have a basic idea of what being a LL involves (legally) as its not unknown for bad situations to happen with them through ignorance.

Did it not occur to you that allowing a tenant to put carpet over wooden floors was going to lead to either glue or nail hole damage? And you didn't take a deposit???????

Don't go on about how awful the tenant has been, or how much you've been taken advantage of. If you lie down on a busy road.., you WILL get flattened. Accept you've been stoopid and learn from it. Don't cast the blame around otherwise you won't learn and another mistake will be made that will cost you.

caronoel

Do you have details of her new address? Could you not deliver this bottle to her?

45002

Tenant could always sue for illegal eviction via county court, easier to win a case in a civil court !

Would the OP have to declare the rent they got to DWP for there JSA claim ?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5091727