Rental property damaged

Marvel1

Peter_Williams wrote: »

No letting agent.
The landlord's been doing it all cash.

Peter_Williams wrote: »

I expect the landlord (my relative) has been ignoring all sorts of regulations.
I'll help with what I can, but I don't want to implicate myself in anything too dodgy.

I would just walk away and do nothing, not your problem.

Peter_Williams

I'll walk past the house again before I go to bed.
Now it's getting dark I'll be able to see if the lights are on and they're lying about the lac of electricity.

Comms69

terrence45 wrote: »

Ignoring HMO laws is not good news*. However, I doubt the tenants are in the position to be suing anyone.


Is there a lease in place? If so, I'm sure they've broken it and can be evicted on the terms set out in it. Plenty of solicitors to telp with this (Google some). If no tenancy, they can still be evicted. I think it's section 8 if they haven't paid rent for 2 months? Again, just instruct a solicitor and do it legally next time.


*Guide here: https://www.gov.uk/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence

Please stop talking silliness.


A tenancy exists because money is exchanged for accommodation.


And it's the council that will sue him.

Comms69

Peter_Williams wrote: »

I'll walk past the house again before I go to bed.
Now it's getting dark I'll be able to see if the lights are on and they're lying about the lac of electricity.

Fancy a harassment and stalking charge?

Peter_Williams

Thanks for the replies.
I'll try and get a bit more info about the tenants and then phone the landlord in a few days.
I don't think the landlord will want to go down the eviction route. He'll probably want to try and negotiate a lower rent, or just let them stay until he gets back.

I'm going to try and find someone who speaks Czech and then try to gain more info.
The tenants were talking about going to the council. Maybe if I can sort out the electricity problem, then they will settle down for a bit.

Peter_Williams

Comms69 wrote: »

Fancy a harassment and stalking charge?

I'll just walk past on the pavement - I won't be knocking on the door or peeping through the windows! (Why would I?, I've already been inside today).

Peter_Williams

Comms69 wrote: »

Please stop talking silliness.


A tenancy exists because money is exchanged for accommodation.


And it's the council that will sue him.

I doubt very much there is any paperwork involved at all.

sevenhills

Peter_Williams wrote: »

They speak little English and are blaming the previous occupiers - but as far as I know there has been no tenancy change.

You cannot know if these are new tenants or not, a very dodgy situation.

PasturesNew

One quick way to end all this .... allbeit extreme ... would be to speak to environmental health at the Council and say ... trashed, illegal subletting, all sorts going on, uninhabitable... serve a closure notice and let's get this hellhole shut down.

That way you at least save the building... but your friend will be in all sorts of trouble, but not as much trouble as might happen if you try to go down the "simple, legal, preferred, sure it'll all work out in the end" route.

A closure order is what the Council slap on a building if it's uninhabitable/unsafe for tenants - they will come, assess the damage, issue a notice to fix it ... return, if it's not done, evict the tenants.

Not a nice way of doing it, but it does round things off pretty damned quickly without the whole place being torched/worse.

terrence45

Comms69 wrote: »

Please stop talking silliness.


A tenancy exists because money is exchanged for accommodation.


And it's the council that will sue him.

I meant if no tenancy 'agreement'. Of course there's a tenancy.



Yes, the council may indeed sue him, if they ever found out and cared. I didn't say they wouldn't.