Few questions about HMO's

wannabe_a_saver

David2710 said:

I would also guess this is the property where they can use wireless internet access using the neighbours access codes. Almost certainly this all relates to illegal activity involving the human trafficking trade. Thank goodness we've now left the EU, but my hunch is UK based Human rights activists are the enablers giving succor and guidance to these individuals on how to navigate the system and how to evade the law.     

Oh yes, human rights activists are well known for how much they support modern slavery. 

a_fierce_bad_rabbit

hi guys, don't think they're students, no real presence of that much around here.
to my mind its probably just another HMO.

hazyjo

Marvel1 said:

hazyjo said:

Blimey, do you live in your front garden? I couldn't tell you who turned up next door in the last year lol.

Could they be builders? Looking to split it into flats? Bulldoze it maybe? Airbnb? !!!!!! shoots? Drug deals? Cannabis growing in the loft? Who knows! Keep us informed Inspector 😁

Like to point out, not every house/street has a front garden, open front door straight on pavement.
Where my TV is, by the window, my direction sees outside the street.

Thanks for the education lol. It was meant to be a little humorous, but, as I always say, if we all had the same sense of humour the world would be a very boring place.

Skiddaw1

a_fierce_bad_rabbit said:

hi guys, don't think they're students, no real presence of that much around here.
to my mind its probably just another HMO.

I'm another one who is a wee bit concerned there could be a modern slavery aspect to the mystery. OP, I really think it is worth reporting your concerns. If it is nothing, no harm will be done but better safe than sorry if you know what I mean.

a_fierce_bad_rabbit

Out of interest, can I ask why so many people think there might be a criminal element to this mystery?

My original concern was that although it all seems to be a bit irregular and confusing, it is most likely another HMO that will cause trouble for my relative who is joined on to it.
However, I did post a similar question on another website, and even there I was advised to suspect illegal activity.
It would be a great help to know why? I will post a bullet point list of activity (that I am aware of) so that people can see a timeline of events, hopefully it will make sense! (Please forgive me for mentioning nationalities and languages as I do think there is a neccesity for it).

--------------------

1/ March 2020 Landlord who had run a HMO for Eastern European workers decided to sell up. All tenants left within a week, suddenly. He admitted to my family member (next door) that he didnt want to fuss with licensing and that the tenants had wrecked the place too often.

2/House sold in June 2020 I think, via a popular estate agent. Same week an elderly Chinese couple appear in their vehicle and sit in the street for long periods of time, watching the house. We assumed they might be the buyers and were checking stuff out.

3/Previous owner (the HMO guy) still present quite a lot. Perhaps completion is slow? Has a lad fit new carpets in the house and paint the interior walls. He tells my relative that house was sold to a wealthy Chinese lady who also purchased 20 other houses in the area. 

4/Several months later the previous owner is still going to the house. He shows a young Chinese couple around, we see them leaving, they seem like nice folk. My relative said he hoped they were going to be his new neighbours. However, if the house has been sold for months, why is the previous owner showing random people around it?

5/Shortly after this, the elderly Chinese man arrives alone and fits a key safe next to the front door.

6/ Periodically, a young man in his early 20's goes into the house for a few mins then leaves. Over the space of several weeks a similar yet different young guy will go in, then leave. We assumed it was someone keeping an eye on the empty house as the owners might be living at a distance or overseas. Whenever one of these lads appeared the often spoke on phone outside window, they all spoke in an Eastern European language. Myself, I thought it was perhaps going to carry on as a HMO as it used to be with previous owner.

7/Several weeks later we were going out when a guy approached us at the front. He introduced himself as Spanish and had been 'given' the house for himself and his family. Had a great chat with him and then left. He was also talking on phone before speaking to us, although in an arabic language (apologies I am not experienced with some languages). I was happy to think my relative was going to have a nice family living there. 
It is worth mentioning that if all of these visitors were talking to an agent or landlord, wouldn't they use a language they all had in common instead of many different ones?

8/ Last week, no further sign of the Spanish family or the original Chinese buyers (and god knows who the young Chinese couple were). And during the past week, around 6 different young European lads (some alone or some arriving in twos) have entered the house. All appear to be trying to fix an internal door. They stay for a few mins, talking loudly on phone, then leave.

9/ I was present last week when I heard a few bumps in there around 3am. The wall is very thin and the street is generally dead as a doornail at this hour. I put my ear to the wall and distinctly heard what sounded like movie sounds coming from a small device - like someone watching a film on a phone. This stopped suddenly. I went out and checked, there were no lights on in there at all and no window coverings, is if someone was in there, they were sat with no furniture in the dark.

What confuses us is if the house was to be let to the Spanish family, who are these young guys? And if they are potential HMO tenants, why were they present even before the Spanish guy? Would a prospective HMO tenant keep visiting an empty unfurnished house for months before it is ready?
Mentioning the nationalities of the people concerned is relevant because they all seem to have no relation to each other whatsoever. 

House is not on the market, and is not advertised anywhere as a rental.
Apologies for length, just thought it might make more sense for those who like a puzzle and to explain why I can't see how this is a drug racket. Thanks for sticking around!

Skiddaw1

For me, its the thought of someone in there at the dead of night with no furniture, lights, etc, that I find most disturbing, but the combination of all the above just doesn't sit right.

hazyjo

You're saying you're surprised so many people suspect a criminal element and then you list all that?

Do you think it all sounds normal? Seriously? Obviously not or you wouldn't be here asking...

Marvel1

hazyjo said:

Marvel1 said:

hazyjo said:

Blimey, do you live in your front garden? I couldn't tell you who turned up next door in the last year lol.

Could they be builders? Looking to split it into flats? Bulldoze it maybe? Airbnb? !!!!!! shoots? Drug deals? Cannabis growing in the loft? Who knows! Keep us informed Inspector 😁

Like to point out, not every house/street has a front garden, open front door straight on pavement.
Where my TV is, by the window, my direction sees outside the street.

Thanks for the education lol. It was meant to be a little humorous, but, as I always say, if we all had the same sense of humour the world would be a very boring place.

Apologises 

a_fierce_bad_rabbit

I think I can see why, from my info, someone might think it is suspicious. I do understand.
In my own opinion, it is weird, mysterious but probably not criminal, because although the young men have appeared on and off, I don't think anyone is going in there often enough to make me think it is drug related - and who would use a key safe? That would compromise their activities surely? Perhaps the person who was in there at night was one of them dossing over for some reason.

None of the guys are contractors and all seem curiously alike but not connected.
One of them appeared at the front looking in at the window last week, spoke on his phone for a while then a car full of other guys picked him up and drove off.
They are all well presented (clean, decent clothes,, etc), don't look troubled or poor. All are thin, smoke like troopers and around the same age range.
This just reminds me of the guys who used to live in the HMO, plus, they are all European. Guess that's why I think it is possibly an unregulated HMO thing.

General_Grant

a_fierce_bad_rabbit said:

I think I can see why, from my info, someone might think it is suspicious. I do understand.
In my own opinion, it is weird, mysterious but probably not criminal, because although the young men have appeared on and off, I don't think anyone is going in there often enough to make me think it is drug related - and who would use a key safe? That would compromise their activities surely? Perhaps the person who was in there at night was one of them dossing over for some reason.

None of the guys are contractors and all seem curiously alike but not connected.
One of them appeared at the front looking in at the window last week, spoke on his phone for a while then a car full of other guys picked him up and drove off.
They are all well presented (clean, decent clothes,, etc), don't look troubled or poor. All are thin, smoke like troopers and around the same age range.
This just reminds me of the guys who used to live in the HMO, plus, they are all European. Guess that's why I think it is possibly an unregulated HMO thing.

If no more than one person is actually living there, how could it be an HMO?