Can't afford to fix boiler

Angela_D_3

Rambosmum said:

Angela_D_3 said:

grumiofoundation said:

Angela_D_3 said:

theartfullodger said:

And some still wonder why landlords have such a bad name.  

Situations like this make it tougher for the few decent landlords.

Ive not had to do it,  but i wouldnt hesistate.  Go to a hairdressers,  use their  services then refuse to pay its theft,  the police would be involved.  Do the same with a house/flat and the LL is in the wrong ?  Its madness.  The Op is only broke because their tenants are thieves.  

Well you should hesitate (well in reality you should sell the house and stop being a landlord).

The landlord is in the wrong if they illegally evict the tenant as you (seemingly) proudly state you would. 

The difference with your hairdresser analogy is the landlord (or at least a competent one) understands that tenants can not pay rent and that the landlord's mechanism for getting them out can take many months and the landlord may well not get their money owed. 

Did you do any research before becoming a landlord?

Still theft though isnt it ? 

No getting away from that.  

I did of course do my research,  after careful consideration ive chosen the lock smith and correct size baseball bat for the job.  

Some you are far too soft 🙄

And the tenant would have every right to get another locksmith to change the locks and move straight back in! They could even break a window to gain access if they so desired, as long as when the legal eviction goes through it is in the state you rented it to them in. 

They could but they probably wouldnt. 

AdrianC

nicmyles said:

The OP doesn't say what his business is

It's irrelevant. We're considering his residential lettings business here.

but if it has been badly affected by Covid as he suggests, he could have been on reduced or no income for up to nine months at this point (we already know he has lost his income from this property). How many people, or even businesses, have savings to cover that length of interruption? People are struggling everywhere and needing to make difficult decisions, so please have a bit of empathy for what is clearly not a situation he asked for.

Let's not forget that it's illegal to trade while insolvent. That applies to sole traders just as much as it does to limited companies.

The OP's DMP and financial inability to maintain the property to a basic habitable standard suggest he may be very, VERY close to that point, if not actually at it yet.

If his residential lettings business has only been solvent because of cross-subsidy from whatever his other business is, and that cross-subsidy cannot continue any more, then that merely explains how it's no longer solvent - it doesn't affect whether or not it is no longer solvent. And, yes, customers owing the business money directly affects the solvency...

ess0two

Comical they've not paid rent....just drag it out they may get the hint to do one.

caprikid1

I would like to understand how long most of the landlords with more than one property could remain solvent if all of their rent stopped for 6 months. I think there are some harsh / self righteous comments being aimed at the OP. I agree that renting a property whilst in a DMP was probably the wrong move but some of the unsubstantiated comments are IMHO unacceptable.

nicmyles

AdrianC said:

nicmyles said:

The OP doesn't say what his business is

It's irrelevant. We're considering his residential lettings business here.

but if it has been badly affected by Covid as he suggests, he could have been on reduced or no income for up to nine months at this point (we already know he has lost his income from this property). How many people, or even businesses, have savings to cover that length of interruption? People are struggling everywhere and needing to make difficult decisions, so please have a bit of empathy for what is clearly not a situation he asked for.

Let's not forget that it's illegal to trade while insolvent. That applies to sole traders just as much as it does to limited companies.

The OP's DMP and financial inability to maintain the property to a basic habitable standard suggest he may be very, VERY close to that point, if not actually at it yet.

If his residential lettings business has only been solvent because of cross-subsidy from whatever his other business is, and that cross-subsidy cannot continue any more, then that merely explains how it's no longer solvent - it doesn't affect whether or not it is no longer solvent. And, yes, customers owing the business money directly affects the solvency...

His other business is relevant insofar as it may be easy for people to forget how devastated some industries have been over the last year and how people may have arrived at this kind of position through no fault or poor planning of their own. I agree it is not relevant to any legalities or particulars of the letting situation.

I agree with what you are saying re: insolvency. This is helpful factual advice to the OP. What I think is unhelpful given the wider context are the comments by some posters (not you) saying they have no sympathy for him, he should have had better contingency funds, he should never have been a landlord, he's a bad landlord, etc etc. The OP may be a terrible landlord and human being for all I know, but what I am saying is it might be nice, given the circumstances, to give people the benefit of the doubt.

LordRocket

No advice I'm afraid but what a f***ed up state of affairs when a tenant (or 2 in this case) don't pay rent but are still entitled to something in return. You reap as you sow in my opinion.

AdrianC

Benefit of the doubt doesn't give the tenants a decent home.

Don't they deserve that same "benefit of the doubt" as to their own financial situations...? They're the ones living in an unheated house in mid-December.

If they posted in here, the advice they would be given would be broadly along the lines of...

• No, you cannot withhold your rent.
• Yes, your landlord has a legal obligation.
• Your easiest resolution is to move.

From the OP's angle, the easiest solution is to see if the council can provide emergency funding, which will likely come with a charge against the property.

frogglet

I feel for the OP,  but I'm wondering given what they said about the state of the house, could a plumber actually get in safely to replace the boiler?

Aranyani

caprikid1 said:

I would like to understand how long most of the landlords with more than one property could remain solvent if all of their rent stopped for 6 months. I think there are some harsh / self righteous comments being aimed at the OP. I agree that renting a property whilst in a DMP was probably the wrong move but some of the unsubstantiated comments are IMHO unacceptable.

6-12 months without rent is exactly the kind of thing potential landlords should consider and plan for before they go into the business.  It’s not so out there or unusual. 

Angela_D_3

Aranyani said:

caprikid1 said:

I would like to understand how long most of the landlords with more than one property could remain solvent if all of their rent stopped for 6 months. I think there are some harsh / self righteous comments being aimed at the OP. I agree that renting a property whilst in a DMP was probably the wrong move but some of the unsubstantiated comments are IMHO unacceptable.

6-12 months without rent is exactly the kind of thing potential landlords should consider and plan for before they go into the business.  It’s not so out there or unusual. 

Totally agree.  6-12 months without rent would cover the mortgage or a major repair.  I doubt anyone would expect to have to cover both.  And Global pandemics aren't in even the governments contingency plan it turns out.