Tenants wants to be evicted

lucky_in_love

Our current tenants want to move to another area for personal reasons. They've looked at privately rented accommodation in that area but can't afford the rent there. They've enquired at the council and they've told them that they can't help unless they're evicted. So they've asked if we can evict them.
We don't want them to go as they've been brilliant tenants but if we don't evict them I'm concerned that they could maybe stop paying the rent or trash the place so that we're forced to evict them.
Has anyone else come across this situation and what did you do?

Pixie5740

I think the tenants are being naive. If they were to be made unintentionally homeless then yes they could go to the council to be re-housed. I think it would have to be the local council, they couldn't just pick some other council to live in, and it's unlikely they would be given a house/flat straightaway. It's more likely they would be put in temporary accommodation first like a B&B.

If the tenants stop paying rent, or breach the tenancy agreement in some other way then you can start the eviction process using a Section 8. This would show that the tenants made themselves intentionally homeless by acting in an un-tenant like manner meaning the council wouldn't have to help them.

PasturesNew

Just do it, it's what they want and it'll be a sword of damacles hanging over your life if you don't.

What Pixie said about them being naive is true, but you can't be responsible for their decisions.

freeisgood

I think just the point they will be asking you to evict them, already would make them intentionally homeless. Someone will find out, unless you are made to lie. Not fair on you.

Beckyy

You'd be leaving yourself with a void unless you can find new tenants pretty quickly?

Pixie5740

I'll also just add that if you issue a Section 21 "no fault" notice then that's not necessarily enough to get the council to act. The council might require an eviction notice which will involve going to court. Since there's no defence against a correctly issued Section 21 you could try and recoup the court costs from the tenants. So you doing a good deed could end up potentially messy for you.

As PastersNew says though, you are not responsible for the decisions the tenants make.