Tenant is Living in Garage

princeofpounds

Can't help with the living-there thing, but I can point you in the right direction on the stuff he left behind. If you google 'bailment', you will discover the area of law that covers what happens if you are involuntarily left with a bunch of stuff by someone else.


The short, vague version - you have to make reasonable efforts to contact them to arrange collection, and you have to store it for a reasonable amount of time. The word 'reasonable' is intentionally vague but a common concept in English law, so just try to be sensible.


Personally, if you have proof that you tried multiple methods of contact, and he hasn't replied in 6 weeks, I'd feel confident in getting rid of stuff. Perhaps I'd leave it longer if there were valuable assets, less time if it's junk (as the damages would be lower).


There are even some principles around recovering the cost of disposal, but I wouldn't count on it.


Happy googling!

Bossypants

TR1 wrote: »

Thanks again.

Honestly, would be happy to help the guy - but we've been unable to contact him now for over a month. Phone number doesn't connect, emails ignored, not sure he lives at the address we have.

I suppose best course of action is to email/write again, change the locks and dispose of items if we haven't heard in four weeks. Don't think you can say fairer than that.

4 weeks isn't much at all. How much stuff are we talking about, volume-wise?

Davy_Jones_II

RipplyUK, the OP has a commercial deal, he’s not running a charity.

You’re obviously a nice person, could you put them up instead?

I can’t believe you’d ask someone else to do it if you’re not willing to yourself, so why not drop a PM with your contact details and the two of you can arrange how to get him over to you?

Norman_Castle

TR1 wrote: »

Honestly, would be happy to help the guy - but we've been unable to contact him now for over a month. Phone number doesn't connect, emails ignored, not sure he lives at the address we have.

I suppose best course of action is to email/write again, change the locks and dispose of items if we haven't heard in four weeks. Don't think you can say fairer than that.

Contact him again explaining you are not hounding him for rent but need to empty the garage and don't want to dispose of anything thats important to him.
What's there? Could you dispose of the larger items such as cheap, easily replaceable furniture but keep decent or more personal items.

caprikid1

Why not just turn up and 2:00 in the morning and see if he is there ? He might have Zero money hence phone cut off etc

HopeAndDriftWood

I'd definitely get legal advice before disposing of his things. My degree is a few years old now, but "reasonable" usually refers to months, not weeks.

Sea_Shell

Are you sure it's actually HIM that's living in it? Could it be sublet? They might not be his belongings!!

Does the garage have power? Probably not if in a block.

Is the bike still there?

Maybe he just didn't need the garage anymore and cancelled his payments to you...lease expires, job done.

The person living there might be a squatter!!?

ripplyuk

Davy_Jones_II wrote: »

RipplyUK, the OP has a commercial deal, he’s not running a charity.

You’re obviously a nice person, could you put them up instead?

I can’t believe you’d ask someone else to do it if you’re not willing to yourself, so why not drop a PM with your contact details and the two of you can arrange how to get him over to you?

I don’t have a garage. If I did, and the guy was that desperate, I would let him stay. OP is obviously entitled to evict them but sometimes it’s nice to help someone out if we can. It was just a thought. It’s a garage so it’s not like he’s squatting in their home.

However it’s sounding more like this guy isn’t living there anymore and has just abandoned his stuff.

SallyDucati

ripplyuk wrote: »

I don’t have a garage. If I did, and the guy was that desperate, I would let him stay. OP is obviously entitled to evict them but sometimes it’s nice to help someone out if we can. It was just a thought. It’s a garage so it’s not like he’s squatting in their home.

However it’s sounding more like this guy isn’t living there anymore and has just abandoned his stuff.

But you also don't know the OPs situaton - it may be that he needs the income to keep his own roof over his head! Also, he could possibly get into legal trouble having someone paying rent and living in a garage, now that he knows it could be a real issue.

Thrugelmir

TR1 wrote: »

We sent a contractor to change the locks and it's apparent that he was living in the garage.

Were the locks changed?