Forwarding Landlord Mail

Alice_M77

I have rented my house for 4 years, my landlord has lived in America for 3 of the 4 years and for 3 years I've forwarded their mail but recently, they sent an email wanting me to forward it quicker as they're expecting important mail. After mentioning the forwarding to friends, they said it shouldn't be my responsibility as a tenant to pay to send my landlords mail to America. I looked it up and it has me wondering why hasn't my landlord just set up a RM Redirection service? How do I go about mentioning this without souring the Tenant-Landlord relationship? 

P.S i do have a UK address but the LL asked that I send all mail RM Signed For to ensure they receive it and I have easily spent over £100 sending their mail, which leaves me with less money as I don't earn much.

csgohan4

Advise of the cost of forwarding email and you will send once you receive payment as you have done so thus far at your own cost. 

In fact I would claim back if you can the cost of what you have done previously.. Previously I just leave in a pile and give to the EA when I have the chance. It is not your responsibility. 

Grumpy_chap

This thread might be of interest
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6273840/forwarding-landlord-mail

elsien

The landlord is taking advantage. If they want you to send it they should be paying for it.
On another note, are you aware of the tax position with regards to your rent and a non-resident landlord. Is he/she using an agent to sort that out for them as otherwise you should potentially be deducting it from the rent and liaising with HMRC 
Paying tax on rent on behalf of landlords who are abroad - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

MaryNB

Their post is not your responsibility. At most tenants should (I don't mean this in the legal sense but as a common curtesy) hold onto any of the landlord's post so they can come and collect it. Asking you to pay to send it on is bad form. Even if the LL paid the costs it would still be a good will gesture for you to post it. It's not in your tenancy agreement (as per your other thread) and it's not legally required. Your LL's friend (as mentioned in your other thread) can collect it and deal with it. You should ask to be reimbursed for that £100. 

user1977

elsien said:

The landlord is taking advantage.

I would have said they're taking something less polite...

And why are they maintaining a UK address, receiving "important" mail for them, years after they left? Something fishy going on.

theartfullodger

Stick the mail back in post box with "return to sender".  That Landlord is too stupid and too mean to pay for redirected mail tells you he doesn't care.

Unless you are paying via an agent you should almost certainly be withholding 20% of rent for HMRC.

Artful: Landlord since 2000

eddddy

theartfullodger said:

Unless you are paying via an agent you should almost certainly be withholding 20% of rent for HMRC.

FWIW, I was talking with a non-resident landlord who is paid rent direct by his tenants.

He says he just filled in a NRL1 form (Non-resident landlord: application to have UK rental income without deduction of UK tax - individuals), and HMRC agreed that his tenants don't have to deduct tax, or keep any records for HMRC. There was no hassle at all.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-resident-landlord-application-to-have-uk-rental-income-without-deduction-of-uk-tax-individuals-nrl1

I guess it's because he met certain criteria, and it won't be true for all landlords.

But it suggests that it's not always a sign of 'dodgy dealing' if a tenant isn't asked to deduct tax.

brianposter

Simply explain to the landlord that you are finding the forwarding expensive and would he please make arrangements to refund you.

Technically it is not your responsibility, but landlords and tenants who do not forward mail are a pain in the a**e.

[Deleted User]

eddddy said:

theartfullodger said:

Unless you are paying via an agent you should almost certainly be withholding 20% of rent for HMRC.

FWIW, I was talking with a non-resident landlord who is paid rent direct by his tenants.

He says he just filled in a NRL1 form (Non-resident landlord: application to have UK rental income without deduction of UK tax - individuals), and HMRC agreed that his tenants don't have to deduct tax, or keep any records for HMRC. There was no hassle at all.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-resident-landlord-application-to-have-uk-rental-income-without-deduction-of-uk-tax-individuals-nrl1

I guess it's because he met certain criteria, and it won't be true for all landlords.

But it suggests that it's not always a sign of 'dodgy dealing' if a tenant isn't asked to deduct tax.

There isn’t really criteria to meet. All a landlord has to do is apply to the non-resident landlord scheme. I joined it and the letting agency I used asked to see a copy of the letter from HMRC otherwise they would hold back the tax. Very sensible of them. 

If a tenant pays the rent directly to a landlord living overseas and the landlord hasn’t or can’t provide evidence to the tenant that (s)he joined the non-resident landlord scheme the tenant should deduct the tax from the rent. 

[Deleted User]

Alice_M77 said:

I have rented my house for 4 years, my landlord has lived in America for 3 of the 4 years and for 3 years I've forwarded their mail but recently, they sent an email wanting me to forward it quicker as they're expecting important mail. After mentioning the forwarding to friends, they said it shouldn't be my responsibility as a tenant to pay to send my landlords mail to America. I looked it up and it has me wondering why hasn't my landlord just set up a RM Redirection service? How do I go about mentioning this without souring the Tenant-Landlord relationship? 

P.S i do have a UK address but the LL asked that I send all mail RM Signed For to ensure they receive it and I have easily spent over £100 sending their mail, which leaves me with less money as I don't earn much.

Your friends are correct, it is not your responsibility to pay to send the landlord’s post anywhere. Royal Mail offer an International Redirection service so if the landlord was that bothered about receiving his post the tight git would pay for it. Alternatively he could do what I do and use a service that provides me with a uk address and then opens and scans the letters to me instead of waiting for weeks/months for physical post to arrive.