LL of no fixed abode?

Terrabithia

lr1277 said:

If you can' contact the landlord, I don't know how the agency is going to contact them.

Say you want to leave early, to which address do you serve notice? The agency's address? I suggest you google "serving notice to landlord" to see what you are liable for if you don't serve notice correctly.

There are quite a few threads on this site, with tenants having problems other than required repairs. The advice is usually to write to the landlord at their address.

Say the state of the flat is not what you expected when you move in, and no inventory report has been done. How do you let the landlord know about broken appliances, poor incomplete decoration etc

Also regarding the boiler, for instance, is the landlord going to give you the account details so you can contact the insurance company to sort out repairs?

The landlord may be insured up to the hilt, but what if something happens for which he is not insured. For example, I was a landlord of a flat with a balcony and it got very windy up there. One day the tenant left the balcony door open in such wind and it opened or closed and smashed the double glazing. So had to get an emergency handyman or glazier out. So you would have to pay for such emergency repairs and reclaim from the landlord. Now it is always possible there will be emergency repairs which you need to sort out and reclaim from the landlord, but I suspect it is just that bit harder without a landlord or an agency nearby.

Just some thoughts.

lr1277 Thank you for your inputs
True, in the middle of the ocean, there will be no way to contact him. I will go through threads here about serving the notice. Tenancy mentions that LL will contact tenant via emails and it will be considered received next day. But is silent on how to contact LL, does mention LL's address as Agency's office address. This warrants some digging around for me.
About boiler insurance: I will ask LL if they will share insurer's details so that I can directly connect with them, if LL is MIA
About the glass shattering: Wast that tenant's negligence or act of omission? Surely they should have to pay for it? My tenancy contract mentions this. 

Terrabithia

deedee71 said:

According to the guidance you need their address.  That, coupled with the fact it's not being managed by an agent, I'd be walking away.

deedee71 & macman
Gosh! Thank you for this! You live, you learn!
This needs sorting out! Im not getting in between LL & HMRC and their sacred relationship!

lr1277

Terrabithia said:

lr1277 said:

If you can' contact the landlord, I don't know how the agency is going to contact them.

Say you want to leave early, to which address do you serve notice? The agency's address? I suggest you google "serving notice to landlord" to see what you are liable for if you don't serve notice correctly.

There are quite a few threads on this site, with tenants having problems other than required repairs. The advice is usually to write to the landlord at their address.

Say the state of the flat is not what you expected when you move in, and no inventory report has been done. How do you let the landlord know about broken appliances, poor incomplete decoration etc

Also regarding the boiler, for instance, is the landlord going to give you the account details so you can contact the insurance company to sort out repairs?

The landlord may be insured up to the hilt, but what if something happens for which he is not insured. For example, I was a landlord of a flat with a balcony and it got very windy up there. One day the tenant left the balcony door open in such wind and it opened or closed and smashed the double glazing. So had to get an emergency handyman or glazier out. So you would have to pay for such emergency repairs and reclaim from the landlord. Now it is always possible there will be emergency repairs which you need to sort out and reclaim from the landlord, but I suspect it is just that bit harder without a landlord or an agency nearby.

Just some thoughts.

lr1277 Thank you for your inputs
True, in the middle of the ocean, there will be no way to contact him. I will go through threads here about serving the notice. Tenancy mentions that LL will contact tenant via emails and it will be considered received next day. But is silent on how to contact LL, does mention LL's address as Agency's office address. This warrants some digging around for me.
About boiler insurance: I will ask LL if they will share insurer's details so that I can directly connect with them, if LL is MIA
About the glass shattering: Wast that tenant's negligence or act of omission? Surely they should have to pay for it? My tenancy contract mentions this. 

Regarding the borken balcony door, it was 18-19 years ago, so I don't remember the details. Sorry.

If you do go ahead with this tenancy, you need to think of all the things that go wrong and find out if the landlord is insured. Now it is possible that some landlord insurance will cover all situations. Let me help by starting a list:

boiler

Plumbing / leaking pipes, especially not close to the boiler (so you can't use the boiler insurance)

Replacement appliances. As a tenant, I once had an electric cooker stop working. The landlord replaced this for me. If a similar large appliance stopped working, would you source and get fitted said appliance

Windows / glazing

Replacement control unit (fusebox). Other electrical items. The flat I rented out did not have enough water pressure to make the shower usable. So an electric pump was installed (under the bath). Depending on their quality they stop working between 3 and 5 years.

Just some thoughts.

Scotbot

Terrabithia said:

Scotbot said:

How long do you intend to be there ? If the LL is travelling they will come back at some point. Could be 10 years time but if they have no overseas address makes me think it could be a lot sooner. 

Point well made. It will be very awkward if I ask them - so what are your intentions? are you planning to come back and repossess the property?
How do I tactfully ask them?

Just ask them how long they intend to rent it for it is a perfectly reasonable question. I rented my house out when I worked overseas,  it was managed by an agent but I would have had no problem with that question, it is in both parties interests to know the answer.If you want somewhere for a couple of years and the LL plans to be back before it is  a problem for you and will be for them if they return and the flat is occupied. 
This presumes you know them or have an email address?

Terrabithia

Poster_586329 said:

One detail I remember from the case of the British hiker who went missing in the Pyrenees after six years travelling around in a camper van is that she and her partner funded their lifestyle through rental income. 

But you'd have to imagine an agency dealt with the property on a fully managed basis.

The case here gets complicated since LL wont be on dry land but high seas with very intermittent connectivity to real world.

Terrabithia

AlexMac said:

Terrabithia said:

Hi MSE community...   Cheers

Dear Terrabitia

I'm impressed that after all these trolling, self-obsessed posts masquerading as advice, you are still with us; you sound like a really sound enquirer...

I'm an optimist; I also think that what goes around, comes around.  I suspect that your boiler won't break down in the next few months.  And even if it does, it will be summer, so less critical...

And if it does, you'll get onto the Agent, who is after all, your contact point.  And give her grief til she sorts out a solution with the LL who, if they really are sailing the world, are my kinda gals!   

And if they don't, you'll fine another rental by Christmas... 

Roll with it; the worst rarely happens...

EDIT- Oh and your LL might be really sound; and posessed of an internet link?  I recall that once, I was in Italy when my tenant's boiler died.  I got it replaced within a couple of days... 

Wonderful thing, the telephone

Dear AlexMac
Thank you for kind words. The frivolous troll has nothing better to do but I have some important life decisions to make (where to rent). So I shall remain focussed.
In my current rental, there was 'never' an emergency. Once the hot water turned into mild lukewarm water, turned out thermostat needed replacing. My current LL is very proactive, he got a new one in 2 days and replaced the thermostat himself. Apart from that there was a minor drip water leak on the downstairs neighbour & the bedroom socket stopped working, which we didnt bother our LL with. There are 2 more sockets to draw juice from. I just informed him & told him to get it repaired at his convenience.

Bottomline, in the last 3 years 4 months, nothing major happened. So the optimist in me thinks that no catastrophe should happen in the next one too. (there is no way of knowing, one can only hope)
Boiler is the only important thing, with everything else we can be patient.

Would Agent still be our POC if they arent managing the property?

Terrabithia

lr1277 said:

Terrabithia said:

lr1277 said:

If you can' contact the landlord, I don't know how the agency is going to contact them.

Say you want to leave early, to which address do you serve notice? The agency's address? I suggest you google "serving notice to landlord" to see what you are liable for if you don't serve notice correctly.

There are quite a few threads on this site, with tenants having problems other than required repairs. The advice is usually to write to the landlord at their address.

Say the state of the flat is not what you expected when you move in, and no inventory report has been done. How do you let the landlord know about broken appliances, poor incomplete decoration etc

Also regarding the boiler, for instance, is the landlord going to give you the account details so you can contact the insurance company to sort out repairs?

The landlord may be insured up to the hilt, but what if something happens for which he is not insured. For example, I was a landlord of a flat with a balcony and it got very windy up there. One day the tenant left the balcony door open in such wind and it opened or closed and smashed the double glazing. So had to get an emergency handyman or glazier out. So you would have to pay for such emergency repairs and reclaim from the landlord. Now it is always possible there will be emergency repairs which you need to sort out and reclaim from the landlord, but I suspect it is just that bit harder without a landlord or an agency nearby.

Just some thoughts.

lr1277 Thank you for your inputs
True, in the middle of the ocean, there will be no way to contact him. I will go through threads here about serving the notice. Tenancy mentions that LL will contact tenant via emails and it will be considered received next day. But is silent on how to contact LL, does mention LL's address as Agency's office address. This warrants some digging around for me.
About boiler insurance: I will ask LL if they will share insurer's details so that I can directly connect with them, if LL is MIA
About the glass shattering: Wast that tenant's negligence or act of omission? Surely they should have to pay for it? My tenancy contract mentions this. 

Regarding the borken balcony door, it was 18-19 years ago, so I don't remember the details. Sorry.

If you do go ahead with this tenancy, you need to think of all the things that go wrong and find out if the landlord is insured. Now it is possible that some landlord insurance will cover all situations. Let me help by starting a list:

boiler

Plumbing / leaking pipes, especially not close to the boiler (so you can't use the boiler insurance)

Replacement appliances. As a tenant, I once had an electric cooker stop working. The landlord replaced this for me. If a similar large appliance stopped working, would you source and get fitted said appliance

Windows / glazing

Replacement control unit (fusebox). Other electrical items. The flat I rented out did not have enough water pressure to make the shower usable. So an electric pump was installed (under the bath). Depending on their quality they stop working between 3 and 5 years.

Just some thoughts.

lr1277  this list is indeed very helpful. Thanks for this.
If any of the appliances stopped working, I dont mind finding a good one and getting it replaced, I just want the assurance the LL will later reimburse me for it. Dont know how do I ask LL this!

Terrabithia

Scotbot said:

Terrabithia said:

Scotbot said:

How long do you intend to be there ? If the LL is travelling they will come back at some point. Could be 10 years time but if they have no overseas address makes me think it could be a lot sooner. 

Point well made. It will be very awkward if I ask them - so what are your intentions? are you planning to come back and repossess the property?
How do I tactfully ask them?

Just ask them how long they intend to rent it for it is a perfectly reasonable question. I rented my house out when I worked overseas,  it was managed by an agent but I would have had no problem with that question, it is in both parties interests to know the answer.If you want somewhere for a couple of years and the LL plans to be back before it is  a problem for you and will be for them if they return and the flat is occupied. 
This presumes you know them or have an email address?

Thanks Scotbot
This helps.

macman

Terrabithia said:

deedee71 said:

According to the guidance you need their address.  That, coupled with the fact it's not being managed by an agent, I'd be walking away.

deedee71 & macman
Gosh! Thank you for this! You live, you learn!
This needs sorting out! Im not getting in between LL & HMRC and their sacred relationship!

You won't have any option. You will be legally liable for the income tax due if the LL is non-resident, and if f there is no managing agent to collect it instead.

SpiderLegs

macman said:

Terrabithia said:

deedee71 said:

According to the guidance you need their address.  That, coupled with the fact it's not being managed by an agent, I'd be walking away.

deedee71 & macman
Gosh! Thank you for this! You live, you learn!
This needs sorting out! Im not getting in between LL & HMRC and their sacred relationship!

You won't have any option. You will be legally liable for the income tax due if the LL is non-resident, and if f there is no managing agent to collect it instead.

I hope the OP is not suggesting that they would ignore their legal responsibility in this situation as that would be a clear breach of forum rules which would require them to be reported.

Hopefully it’s just a little misunderstanding on their part.