Rent owed for last two months

portiagriffey

Please advice - thanks
Clever tenants ! one of them working for a letting agency, have given two months notice to leave and haven't paid their rent. With five weeks left before they go, they are now in arrears. What can I do to get my two months rent. One has said he can't pay and is leaving this week. What is my next step?

dancingfairy

There's not a lot you can do at this stage apart from write to them and ask them to bring the rent uptodate and enclose a rent statement.
How much is the deposit? Will it cover the rent? Is it protected?
Df

theartfullodger

Issue s21 & s8 TODAY! - NOW!! (you can issue an s8 notice if only 1p of rent short for 1 day). They might just take the hint & start paying.

As they have given notice I would wait until they have gone before starting legal action for unpaid rent & any damages.

In case they do not leave sue them for double rent as is your right for the period after their notice expires.

Inform letting agent that rent is unpaid. Inform, if asked by council, about unpaid rent, so they don't get scarce council housing given to them. Be either extremely honest if asked for a reference or give none. Do careful check-out with witness.

A tenant can leave any time they like, bit they still owe rent to end of notice period.

What were the original tenant credit & landlord reference checks like??

dancingfairy

It's strange as someone working in a professional job such as an estate agent you would not expect to default on the rent. A ccj would surely be frowned upon in such a place and make enomoyment difficult?
I think you can use the deposit money to offset the rent owed but this clearly won't help if the place is trashed as well. Let's hope its just a case that they didn't have the cash to shell out for a new place and deposit so assumed you'd take the deposit rather than any , more malicious intent.
Df

theartfullodger

dancingfairy wrote: »

..... someone working in a professional job such as an estate agent .....

Never realised it was a professional job....

bigfreddiel

When I've rented in the past, with full checks, I found families the worst closely followed by 'professionals', and I use that term loosely.

Three out of three times these type of tenants have left the house a complete mess, damaged, not wear and tear.

The best were students, left the house in better condition than when they moved in.

I would never rent again, anyone who takes on buy to let had better be well prepared for anything that could happen because it will.

Cheers fj

G_M

theartfullodger wrote: »

Never realised it was a professional job....

'professional' as in they wear a suit......

How much are the arrears at present? If 2 months is owed (ie the day after the 2nd rent date is missed) you can use a S8 ground 8 which is a mandatory eviction.

If less than 2 months owed, then S8 ground 10

See
Schedule 2 (17 S8 Grounds a LL can use)

DaftyDuck

theartfullodger wrote: »

Never realised it was a professional job....

Well, if the "oldest profession" is a profession, surely they are as qualified?

G_M

DaftyDuck wrote: »

Well, if the "oldest profession" is a profession, surely they are as qualified?

maybe as qualified, but probobly not as well trained..

theartfullodger

DaftyDuck wrote: »

Well, if the "oldest profession" is a profession, surely they are as qualified?

No no no no... think about who scr*ws whom...entirely different ....

portiagriffey

The deposit won't entirely cover two months rent. I guess it is protected it is with a deposit agency via the letting agency. And of course I had hoped to use some of the deposit against any damage. Thanks for your reply.