Tenant can't afford rent - proof?

hazyjo

davidmcn said:

hazyjo said:

holschubes said:

The government are helping people and with furlough are paying 80% of peoples wages, am I correct in thinking this? 

They're only paying up to £2500pm per person. So it depends what they were earning as to how far out of pocket they are.

It also requires the cooperation of the employer, rather than being something the employee can demand. Some people have simply been made redundant, or don't qualify for furlough. 

Indeed. Furloughed myself!

cgk1

So you could play hardball but ask yourself what your options are in the current climate if they decide to simply stop paying all the rent? 

General_Grant

Comms69 said:

holschubes said:

We received a text message last night from our tenants simply saying that due to covid19 they can not afford to pay the full rental amount and can only pay half....as landlords are we able to ask for proof of this? Last year we knew that the tenants were employed as a Care Home Manager and a Care Assistant, we had learnt that the care home they both worked in had been shut down but we did not question our tenants as we decided as long as the rent was still being paid then that was all that mattered, so currently we do not know what their employment status is or where they work, but they have had no problem paying the rent up until now. The government are helping people and with furlough are paying 80% of peoples wages, am I correct in thinking this? Surely as landlords we have a right to ask our tennnts for proof of why they can't pay the full rent. Our first question back to them was "Have you lost your jobs?" and are yet to reply. It's a stressful time for everyone and as landlords we are very understanding of the current situation but where does it leave us. I know we can ask for a mortgage holiday period but still, I would like proof of why they can't pay.
Many thanks.

You can ask, but they arent obliged to provide it. You arent obliged to agree, but ultimately your method of enforcement isnt available at the moment.

Whilst you may not have meant it this way, what do you mean you didnt question your tenants when the care home closed? Were you going to offer to help? Because the alternative is that you feel that you are entitled to be involved in their lives? You have no right to know where they work or what they do.

The 80% is not as simple as that. Ultimately you have no say in this. Accept the rent will be halves and move on.

If they were new tenants I'd certainly want to know where they work and obtain references.  I think I would have the right to ask and if they didn't provide the information I would have the right not to let the accommodation.

afis1904

General_Grant said:

Comms69 said:

holschubes said:

We received a text message last night from our tenants simply saying that due to covid19 they can not afford to pay the full rental amount and can only pay half....as landlords are we able to ask for proof of this? Last year we knew that the tenants were employed as a Care Home Manager and a Care Assistant, we had learnt that the care home they both worked in had been shut down but we did not question our tenants as we decided as long as the rent was still being paid then that was all that mattered, so currently we do not know what their employment status is or where they work, but they have had no problem paying the rent up until now. The government are helping people and with furlough are paying 80% of peoples wages, am I correct in thinking this? Surely as landlords we have a right to ask our tennnts for proof of why they can't pay the full rent. Our first question back to them was "Have you lost your jobs?" and are yet to reply. It's a stressful time for everyone and as landlords we are very understanding of the current situation but where does it leave us. I know we can ask for a mortgage holiday period but still, I would like proof of why they can't pay.
Many thanks.

You can ask, but they arent obliged to provide it. You arent obliged to agree, but ultimately your method of enforcement isnt available at the moment.

Whilst you may not have meant it this way, what do you mean you didnt question your tenants when the care home closed? Were you going to offer to help? Because the alternative is that you feel that you are entitled to be involved in their lives? You have no right to know where they work or what they do.

The 80% is not as simple as that. Ultimately you have no say in this. Accept the rent will be halves and move on.

If they were new tenants I'd certainly want to know where they work and obtain references.  I think I would have the right to ask and if they didn't provide the information I would have the right not to let the accommodation.

You don't have a right to know where they work whatsoever as long as they can show that they can pay the rent.

davidmcn

General_Grant said:

Comms69 said:

holschubes said:

We received a text message last night from our tenants simply saying that due to covid19 they can not afford to pay the full rental amount and can only pay half....as landlords are we able to ask for proof of this? Last year we knew that the tenants were employed as a Care Home Manager and a Care Assistant, we had learnt that the care home they both worked in had been shut down but we did not question our tenants as we decided as long as the rent was still being paid then that was all that mattered, so currently we do not know what their employment status is or where they work, but they have had no problem paying the rent up until now. The government are helping people and with furlough are paying 80% of peoples wages, am I correct in thinking this? Surely as landlords we have a right to ask our tennnts for proof of why they can't pay the full rent. Our first question back to them was "Have you lost your jobs?" and are yet to reply. It's a stressful time for everyone and as landlords we are very understanding of the current situation but where does it leave us. I know we can ask for a mortgage holiday period but still, I would like proof of why they can't pay.
Many thanks.

You can ask, but they arent obliged to provide it. You arent obliged to agree, but ultimately your method of enforcement isnt available at the moment.

Whilst you may not have meant it this way, what do you mean you didnt question your tenants when the care home closed? Were you going to offer to help? Because the alternative is that you feel that you are entitled to be involved in their lives? You have no right to know where they work or what they do.

The 80% is not as simple as that. Ultimately you have no say in this. Accept the rent will be halves and move on.

If they were new tenants I'd certainly want to know where they work and obtain references.  I think I would have the right to ask and if they didn't provide the information I would have the right not to let the accommodation.

That's all very well, but these ones aren't new tenants.

sharp910sh

Well you cannot evict them for 3 months so there is nothing you can do other than hold tight!

cgk1

sharp910sh said:

Well you cannot evict them for 3 months so there is nothing you can do other than hold tight!

With the backlog that will exist in the courts - if you can do it in less than six... 

General_Grant

afis1904 said:

General_Grant said:

Comms69 said:

holschubes said:

We received a text message last night from our tenants simply saying that due to covid19 they can not afford to pay the full rental amount and can only pay half....as landlords are we able to ask for proof of this? Last year we knew that the tenants were employed as a Care Home Manager and a Care Assistant, we had learnt that the care home they both worked in had been shut down but we did not question our tenants as we decided as long as the rent was still being paid then that was all that mattered, so currently we do not know what their employment status is or where they work, but they have had no problem paying the rent up until now. The government are helping people and with furlough are paying 80% of peoples wages, am I correct in thinking this? Surely as landlords we have a right to ask our tennnts for proof of why they can't pay the full rent. Our first question back to them was "Have you lost your jobs?" and are yet to reply. It's a stressful time for everyone and as landlords we are very understanding of the current situation but where does it leave us. I know we can ask for a mortgage holiday period but still, I would like proof of why they can't pay.
Many thanks.

You can ask, but they arent obliged to provide it. You arent obliged to agree, but ultimately your method of enforcement isnt available at the moment.

Whilst you may not have meant it this way, what do you mean you didnt question your tenants when the care home closed? Were you going to offer to help? Because the alternative is that you feel that you are entitled to be involved in their lives? You have no right to know where they work or what they do.

The 80% is not as simple as that. Ultimately you have no say in this. Accept the rent will be halves and move on.

If they were new tenants I'd certainly want to know where they work and obtain references.  I think I would have the right to ask and if they didn't provide the information I would have the right not to let the accommodation.

You don't have a right to know where they work whatsoever as long as they can show that they can pay the rent.

I said a right to ASK.

Crashy_Time

Why don`t they just claim their government money and pay their rent from that, I thought B.J said the government were backstopping everyone`s wages to stop the economy collapsing?

lisyloo

Crashy_Time said:

Why don`t they just claim their government money and pay their rent from that, I thought B.J said the government were backstopping everyone`s wages to stop the economy collapsing?

Their employment status is unknown.
some people fall through the gaps e.g. self employed paid by dividends ( it works on paye).
in some cases employers are claiming they can’t pay wages until they get government money
could be a variety of reasons