Rent Arrears - Letter from letting agents

theartfullodger

RHemmings said:

theartfullodger said:

You write/email about the matter to the landlord (yes landlord), copy agent, keep copy.


Your landlord is whoever is thus named on tenancy agreement.  Yes i understand agent has been handling everything. If you have no address for landlord spend £3 with gov.uk land registry for deeds of your rented home.

Artful, landlord since 2000

Curious about this one. For my previous house (rented), the address on the title register for both landlords (two names) is the actual rented house itself. Clearly they actually live somewhere else. The address for the landlord (only one name) on the tenancy agreement is c/o the letting agency, with no home address given. Also, while the name is recognisable as being one of the owners on the title deed, the surname for the landlord given on the tenancy agreement is only half the surname on the title deed. 

Also, in the tenancy deposit scheme, only the lettings agency is given as a landlord. Neither of the names of the actual (according to title register) owners of the house are listed. 

In the context of this thread, for the OP the title register may or may not reveal the actual address of the landlord. As it doesn't for me. 

Generally I'd also want to know why a landlord would conceal their identity and address in the ways that my (past) landlord has. Personally I'm slightly suspicious that there may be tax avoidance going on. In other threads it's been said that HMRC can obtain details of landlords and lettings from deposit schemes, and identify tax avoidance. I wonder if this may be harder if the landlord's name isn't mentioned in the deposit scheme. But, note, this is only a vague suspicion of mine. No more than that. 

Mortgage lender and possibly HMRC being deceived likely.  Interest rate too low, more tax fiddling.

Very stupid of owners as occupant could identity theft then re-mortgage or sell property and disappear with the loot. That has happened!

RHemmings

waseem432000 said:

RHemmings said:

theartfullodger said:

You write/email about the matter to the landlord (yes landlord), copy agent, keep copy.


Your landlord is whoever is thus named on tenancy agreement.  Yes i understand agent has been handling everything. If you have no address for landlord spend £3 with gov.uk land registry for deeds of your rented home.

Artful, landlord since 2000

Curious about this one. For my previous house (rented), the address on the title register for both landlords (two names) is the actual rented house itself. Clearly they actually live somewhere else. The address for the landlord (only one name) on the tenancy agreement is c/o the letting agency, with no home address given. Also, while the name is recognisable as being one of the owners on the title deed, the surname for the landlord given on the tenancy agreement is only half the surname on the title deed. 

Also, in the tenancy deposit scheme, only the lettings agency is given as a landlord. Neither of the names of the actual (according to title register) owners of the house are listed. 

In the context of this thread, for the OP the title register may or may not reveal the actual address of the landlord. As it doesn't for me. 

Generally I'd also want to know why a landlord would conceal their identity and address in the ways that my (past) landlord has. Personally I'm slightly suspicious that there may be tax avoidance going on. In other threads it's been said that HMRC can obtain details of landlords and lettings from deposit schemes, and identify tax avoidance. I wonder if this may be harder if the landlord's name isn't mentioned in the deposit scheme. But, note, this is only a vague suspicion of mine. No more than that. 

On my tenancy agreement, the landlord
address is same as the letting agent’s address which is their local branch. Think the landlord lives abroad somewhere but I am not too sure. 

Can you send an email asking them to reply by email, not by phoning you? Then if they phone you, ask them to stop the call and reply by email instead. That would create more of a paper trail. If they refuse to respond by email, then this calls into question whether this is just incompetence. 

It would be interesting to see what the title register for your property says. In the case of the property I recently rented, the address is not their true address (risk of property fraud, anyone?) If you get the title register for your property (£3 online, as recommended above), it would be interesting to hear what it says. Not the exact address, just if it's something incorrect - as it is in my case. Or an address that is at least plausible. 

propertyrental

Regarding LL address. The Title Register is not a reliable way to find the LL's address, though it  may do so.

Many people buy a property and automatically give the Land Registry the property adress as contact for themselves. They may later let the property but neglect to update the LR with their new address. As artful says, this may be because they don't want HMRC or their morthage lender to know they are letting the property, or it may just be because of the many tasks a new LL has to do, this one is way down the list of priorities. It really only becomes relevant if the LR needs to contact the owner which is very rare - and it certainly isn't a legal requirement

Also, the property owner is not always the T's LL.

Many (most?) LL's use the agent's address on the tenancy agreement, which satisfies the law ( Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 S48). After all, if you employ an agent to manage your tenants, you want the Ts to contact that agent, not you (ie the LL)

A more reliable way to find the LL's address is via a written request to the agent quoting the  Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 S1. The agent has to provide the LL's actual address, but only if asked, and asked in writing.

RHemmings

propertyrental said:

A more reliable way to find the LL's address is via a written request to the agent quoting the  Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 S1. The agent has to provide the LL's actual address, but only if asked, and asked in writing.

I'm not the OP, but I'm already planning to give this a go. I'll see what response I get. If what happens looks to be a relevant example, I'll post here. 

RHemmings

RHemmings said:

propertyrental said:

A more reliable way to find the LL's address is via a written request to the agent quoting the  Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 S1. The agent has to provide the LL's actual address, but only if asked, and asked in writing.

I'm not the OP, but I'm already planning to give this a go. I'll see what response I get. If what happens looks to be a relevant example, I'll post here. 

Strangely, when I made the request, the response was a complete 180 degree reversal and instant refund of all the disputed part of my deposit. And, a statement that this issue is now 'closed'. I'm thinking about how to respond. 

The more that happens in my situation, the stranger it all looks.