Bankrupt Landlord

Collins1479

Good evening all, 

This might sound like a strange one, my ex landlord was declared bankrupt in December 2017. I found out the beginning of February from 2018 from the company that was working for the administrators has he hand a lot of property’s.

In early May 2018 i revived a letter from the company looking after the property I rent saying that everything was been handed back to the bank and I should get in touch with a solicitor. Since then I haven’t heard anything from anyone and have not paid any rent since. 

I’ve looked after the property for nearly 3 years and paid for maintenance. I’m just not sure what’s going on and worried that they will come one day to evict me with out any notice. Is there anything I can do. 

Thanks in advance 

[Deleted User]

Contact the name at the bottom of the letter.  Anytime in the last 22 months!  And your LL (ex possibly) to confirm.., anytime in the last 22 months. I hope you kept the rent and allowed it to accrue safely so you could pay it at some point.

HampshireH

Hopefully you have all your rent in account ready for when you are asked for the arrears to be paid.

greatcrested

First off, you owe the rent for the last 3 years. So I hope you have kept it safely eg in an interest account.

The issues are

1) who do you owe and

2) when will they claim it

Should not be hard to find out 1). Simply

3) contact your original-maybe-ex-landlord and ask. Use a letter sent to the address you were given "for serving notice" on him. Copy any other address/email etc you may for him

4) Write also to any letting agent that was ever involved (eg on a 'tenant-find' basis)

5) contact the company that wrote to you in 2018

6) contact the bank they claimed had reclaimed the property

7) "should get in touch with a solicitor." Do you mean they named a solicitor handling the matter (eg for the bank)? If so, contact them. Or do you mean they recommended you take legal advice from your own solicitor? Did you? If not, why not?

8) pay £3 to the Land Registry here and check who is now the named registered owner.

What have you been doing for the last 3 years regarding things llike annual gas safety reports? These are for your safety and benefit. Have they taken place? If yes, who arranged them?  If not, why have you not taken action? Have you reported to the HSE?

By law landlords must carry out an annual gas safety check and provide tenants with a copy of the record of that check. New tenants should receive a copy before they move in and existing tenants should get a copy within 28 days of the annual check being done you don't have a current gas safety record you can report to HSE via form LGSR1.

Read my post here too:

Post 6: Repossession: what if a LL's mortgage lender repossesses the property?

mattyprice4004

My friend had something vaguely similar, they did ask for the rent and kept him as a tenant (eventually, it took them about 18 months to get in touch).

Definite

A friend of ours had a similar situation. Eventually lived two years rent free in the house and the bank never asked for any money.

HampshireH

Definite said:

A friend of ours had a similar situation. Eventually lived two years rent free in the house and the bank never asked for any money.

They got lucky

greatcrested

Definite said:

A friend of ours had a similar situation. Eventually lived two years rent free in the house and the bank never asked for any money.

I sometimes drive at 80mph and have never been fined or endorsed.

Collins1479

I’ll deal with the rent when it comes to it, I’ve dealt with the up keep of the property for 2 and a half years now. Who will reimburse me for the money I have spent doing this?  

1, I don’t have a clue who it is 

2,  it will be 3 years in April since I last had any letters from anyone bar a debt collector banging on my door looking for the Landlord. 

3, Tried to contact my ex landlord he has disappeared of the face of the earth. Found his address on the title deeds I got About a year ago. ( i do pop over now and again just to check) 

4, I’ve lived in the property for over 10 years now and never dealt with a letting agency just him. So I think I may have lost my £2000 bond. 

5, the company I was dealing with were no help at all, said they couldn’t help because of new GDPR regs.

6, I don’t know what bank I need to go to ask. 

7, My solicitor talked to me about it, but said nothing much he can do until I receive a letter from who ever owns the house. (Talk to him every 6 months roughly) 

8, already do this, that I found out his name was on the title deeds and an a dress, where he no longer lives. 

9,  the company that took over his houses did a gas safety check when they took over in March 2018. Since then I’ve done it 2019, 2020 and no doubt next year to. Who would I report to the HSE myself? 

Where do i go from here? 

Is there anyone else I can talk to for advice? 

theartfullodger

'phone Shelter free helpline 0808 800 4444

martindow

Collins1479 said:

...

4, I’ve lived in the property for over 10 years now and never dealt with a letting agency just him. So I think I may have lost my £2000 bond. 

...

You must have more than this set aside to pay the rent when it is asked for.  In these circumstances I would hold 2000 back when you are sure who needs to be paid, unless the new owner protects this sum.  I hope you have kept the receipt for the deposit.