Tenant moved in without telling me, didnt read meter

thestens

I used an agency to find a new tenant for my one bed flat . Tenant signed up, checked, paid rent, said was moving in in a few days. I asked the letting agency to find out the exact date but he didnt reply to their phone calls. As I only employed them to find the tenant, its now down to me.
2 days ago he rang me to tell me that he'd received an electricity bill at the property for £120. He had moved in a week before, not told me and not read the meter. Had I known he was moving in, I would either have got a reading from him or done it myself.
I have tried to call him several times to tell him to read the meter but his phone just goes to answerphone. I don't really want to go over as its 40 miles away and he may not be in when I get there.
I've been in touch with the electricity company and the bill is estimated for the end of the last tenancy ( meter was read then). So once I get an accurate reading it can be sorted out. But how do I work out how much the tenant owes from 24th Dec? The flat is all electric.
I'm pretty annoyed about the whole business, but unsure exactly how to proceed!! Surely a tenant should inform the landlord of the date he plans to move in??

da_rule

What date was on the tenancy agreement? If he moved in on or after that date then he hasn't really done anything wrong.

Did you or the agents tell him to read the meter on the first day of the tenancy? If not, he could've simply not released it was needed.

bazzyb

thestens wrote: »

Surely a tenant should inform the landlord of the date he plans to move in??

Surely a landlord should arrange for the meters to be read on the date the tenancy agreement commences? The tenant is responsible from that point onwards, regardless of when they move in.

davidmcn

thestens wrote: »

Surely a tenant should inform the landlord of the date he plans to move in??

No, the tenant and landlord agree what date the tenancy begins. What date the tenant actually moves in shouldn't be of any great interest to the landlord.

Pixie5740

Didn't the tenancy agreement give you a big clue as to when the contract started?

It's usual for the landlord, or an agent acting on his/her behalf, to note the meter readings as part of the check-in inventory. Has such an inventory been carried out?

Yes it's sensible for the tenant, or anyone moving into a new property, to take meter readings but some people forget and some just don't know.

G_M

Amazing!

Who drew up the tenancy agreement? You or the agency?
What was the start date on it?
Was the agency tasked (and paid) by you to read the meters on the tenancy start date? If yes, why didn't they? Complain. If no, then why didn't you read them?
Who gave the tenant the keys? You or the agency?
When? Presumably on the start date at the same time as the meters were read?
Who managed the other aspects of the tenancy set-up?

Someone as been very naive here, and since you says "I only employed them to find the tenant, its now down to me." it seems clear where the niavity lies.........

For a few other pointers:

* New landlords: advice, information & links

FBaby

So does this mean you also haven't done an inventory? Usually the meters are done then and recorded on the document.

always_sunny

Don't forget to register the deposit or you may get more surprises when the tenant leaves!

Alias_Omega

You should have a meter reading when tenant moved out, get one today & pay the bill.

Standing charge is 25p per day, must have been empty for ages or heating left on.

Norman_Castle

thestens wrote: »

2 days ago he rang me to tell me that he'd received an electricity bill at the property for £120.

I've been in touch with the electricity company and the bill is estimated for the end of the last tenancy ( meter was read then).

Who is the £120 bill addressed to? Is it a final bill for the previous tenant?

If the meter was read for the end of the last tenancy the bill is not estimated.

austonic

Was someone else in the place before the new tenant, or was it empty for a while?

If the latter, will be pretty easy to work out when someone moved in and started using services.

I'd give the option to the tenant of paying on a flat pro-rata basis when s/he provides evidence of moving in date, if the date of the tenancy agreement isn't suitable for some reason (can't think why it wouldn't be frankly). This is likely to benefit the tenant. Fair and reasonable on your part.