Chasing previous tenant for rent arrears

here_for_advise

Hi does any body have any advise on how to proceed.
Parents own a rental property,previous tenant has left owing nearly £3000 in rent arrears and no forwarding address.
Letting agents have sent a letter to their parents home(address before rental property) but apparently don't live there anymore and to their works marked private and confidential,which we don't think they will reply to,also sent text messages but no reply.
Since moving out constant debt letters arriving at address even though they had a decent job.
When they left the property in a bad state,have had to spend nearly £5000 to get it decent again.
With no forwarding address is there any way we can get a can for the arrears.
They are not being greedy would just like what's owing to them.
Thanks

m0bov

Get tracer to find their address, take them to court, ccj. Baliffs.

GDB2222

You can issue proceedings to the last known address, ie the property he was renting. You'll then win the case, as it won't be defended. You then apply for an attachment of earnings order. The guy will move job. You'll trace him to a new employer, apply for a new earnings order. Rinse and repeat. Or, if he has any sense, he'll go bankrupt.

My advice: Next time get the parents as guarantor. Probably best to write this off.

here_for_advise

Thanks for the replys
Can you issue proceedings to the last address even though they no longer live there and it's now re rented.
They work for the nhs and have done for at least 10 years so it would be highly unlikely that they would just give  up their job.
No point getting parents as guarentor,they are a grown adult with children and earning more than enough to pass rent checks etc,just decided not to pay rent and be a nightmare tenant.

moneysavinghero

Why no point in getting a guarantor? If you had a guarantor you would now be getting the guarantor to pay for the missing rent rather than having to track down the invisible man.

GDB2222

here_for_advise said:

Thanks for the replys
Can you issue proceedings to the last address even though they no longer live there and it's now re rented.
They work for the nhs and have done for at least 10 years so it would be highly unlikely that they would just give  up their job.
No point getting parents as guarentor,they are a grown adult with children and earning more than enough to pass rent checks etc,just decided not to pay rent and be a nightmare tenant.

Yes, you can. 

The_Real_Cheddar_Bob

moneysavinghero said:

Why no point in getting a guarantor? If you had a guarantor you would now be getting the guarantor to pay for the missing rent rather than having to track down the invisible man.

Ah yes, I can add you to the list of exploiters.
OP no sympathy. Don't rent houses, work for your money,

moneysavinghero

The_Real_Cheddar_Bob said:

moneysavinghero said:

Why no point in getting a guarantor? If you had a guarantor you would now be getting the guarantor to pay for the missing rent rather than having to track down the invisible man.

Ah yes, I can add you to the list of exploiters.
OP no sympathy. Don't rent houses, work for your money,

Not sure who i have exploited? If someone wants to be a guarantor that is their own choice to do it or not to do it. No one is exploited. Maybe the person renting will exploit the fact that they can leave the guarantor to pick up the mess when they fail to pay their rent - but that's not me that's the renter. If that kind of human asks you to be a guarantor (they are usually quite easily identifiable) then be more zammo and just say no.

Stubod

The_Real_Cheddar_Bob said:

Ah yes, I can add you to the list of exploiters.
OP no sympathy. Don't rent houses, work for your money,

..not sure I follow this logic??....work for money, decide to buy a BTL as an investment / retirement fund, rent to somebody who wants to rent....everybody happy...or am I missing something??

GDB2222

The_Real_Cheddar_Bob said:

moneysavinghero said:

Why no point in getting a guarantor? If you had a guarantor you would now be getting the guarantor to pay for the missing rent rather than having to track down the invisible man.

Ah yes, I can add you to the list of exploiters.
OP no sympathy. Don't rent houses, work for your money,

Presumably everyone who rents out a property is an exploiter?

How about car hire companies. Exploiters, too?

The guy who rents out boats at the river. An exploiter?

theoretica

moneysavinghero said:

Why no point in getting a guarantor? If you had a guarantor you would now be getting the guarantor to pay for the missing rent rather than having to track down the invisible man.

But if you insist on a guarantor many good reliable tenants will be insulted or decide they don't need the hassle and rent elsewhere potentially leaving you with the tenants other people don't want as much.  It isn't always an advantage to be more stringent than the competition.