PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Landlord has died with no NoK

Options
12467

Comments

  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 49,536 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Name Dropper
    Certainly interesting situation. Once the landlord is found they will be in breach of tenancy for not keeping up with legal requirements eg annual gas certificate!  Shame your landlord didn’t leave you the property, given they haven’t left it to anyone else!
    I'm a Forum Ambassador on the housing, mortgages & student money saving boards. I volunteer to help get your forum questions answered and keep the forum running smoothly. Forum Ambassadors are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.
  • Flugelhorn
    Flugelhorn Posts: 7,315 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    silvercar said:
    Certainly interesting situation. Once the landlord is found they will be in breach of tenancy for not keeping up with legal requirements eg annual gas certificate!  Shame your landlord didn’t leave you the property, given they haven’t left it to anyone else!
    and if a landlord (say a distant relative) was found, would they genuinely be able to say they didn't know they had to do this?   Can imagine the probate researchers will be on to this - unless they have been already and given up the hunt 
  • kkkklinky
    kkkklinky Posts: 181 Forumite
    100 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    There doesn't appear to be any relatives unfortunately, heir hunters have been looking and haven't found anything, there was a substantial amount of cash in the bank account and other properties that also had tenants. Strange situation. My uncle is a solicitor and has been tracking this case. My local council has been taking over abandoned properties in order to turn into council housing so wondering if that may happen to mine.
  • Flugelhorn
    Flugelhorn Posts: 7,315 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    kkkklinky said:
    There doesn't appear to be any relatives unfortunately, heir hunters have been looking and haven't found anything, there was a substantial amount of cash in the bank account and other properties that also had tenants. Strange situation. My uncle is a solicitor and has been tracking this case. My local council has been taking over abandoned properties in order to turn into council housing so wondering if that may happen to mine.
    It definitely is a strange one and am sure they would have come up with a relative if there was one - reckon the chance of finding one is greatest early on.  Suspect it might be better if the council do take over the property as would give you more certainty and repairs etc would get done
  • Sea_Shell
    Sea_Shell Posts: 10,023 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    kkkklinky said:
    There doesn't appear to be any relatives unfortunately, heir hunters have been looking and haven't found anything, there was a substantial amount of cash in the bank account and other properties that also had tenants. Strange situation. My uncle is a solicitor and has been tracking this case. My local council has been taking over abandoned properties in order to turn into council housing so wondering if that may happen to mine.
    It definitely is a strange one and am sure they would have come up with a relative if there was one - reckon the chance of finding one is greatest early on.  Suspect it might be better if the council do take over the property as would give you more certainty and repairs etc would get done

    Would it though?    

    If the OP is not entitled to a council house*, would they not serve notice and replace them with someone who does?

    It really is a shame that the LL didn't think long and hard about what they wanted to happen to their estate.   If it was just going to end up with the Crown, it would have been a lovely gesture to leave it to charity or to the sitting tenants of each property at the time.  



    * Is entitlement to housing element under UC further down the pecking order to someone entitled to a LA home?

    How's it going, AKA, Nutwatch? - 12 month spends to date = 2.60% of current retirement "pot" (as at end May 2025)
  • Section62
    Section62 Posts: 9,755 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    kkkklinky said:
    There doesn't appear to be any relatives unfortunately, heir hunters have been looking and haven't found anything, there was a substantial amount of cash in the bank account and other properties that also had tenants. Strange situation. My uncle is a solicitor and has been tracking this case. My local council has been taking over abandoned properties in order to turn into council housing so wondering if that may happen to mine.
    Yours isn't abandoned though - it belongs to the estate of your landlord which in the absence of beneficiaries belongs to the Crown.  You are also living in the property, so it doesn't need the council to intervene (yet) to make sure it is being used as a home.

    When the council advised you to stay put, did they give you any indication about applying to go on their housing list? Even if the council did (eventually) take ownership there's no guarantee they would let you carry on living there, especially if (for example) the property is larger than you need. And they would also very likely want you to move out while the property was refurbished up to their standards.  It is unlikely to be as simple as them taking over from your deceased landlord with everything else staying the same.
  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 49,536 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Name Dropper
    Section62 said:
    kkkklinky said:
    There doesn't appear to be any relatives unfortunately, heir hunters have been looking and haven't found anything, there was a substantial amount of cash in the bank account and other properties that also had tenants. Strange situation. My uncle is a solicitor and has been tracking this case. My local council has been taking over abandoned properties in order to turn into council housing so wondering if that may happen to mine.
    Yours isn't abandoned though - it belongs to the estate of your landlord which in the absence of beneficiaries belongs to the Crown.  You are also living in the property, so it doesn't need the council to intervene (yet) to make sure it is being used as a home.

    When the council advised you to stay put, did they give you any indication about applying to go on their housing list? Even if the council did (eventually) take ownership there's no guarantee they would let you carry on living there, especially if (for example) the property is larger than you need. And they would also very likely want you to move out while the property was refurbished up to their standards.  It is unlikely to be as simple as them taking over from your deceased landlord with everything else staying the same.
    I disagree. Tenant has a tenancy. I can’t see the council evicting, advising the tenant to apply to the same council as homeless and go on the housing list, with the council obliged to find accommodation in the meantime. In the same way as when housing associations take on re from others, you accept the tenants and their tenancies as part of the deal.
    I'm a Forum Ambassador on the housing, mortgages & student money saving boards. I volunteer to help get your forum questions answered and keep the forum running smoothly. Forum Ambassadors are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.
  • Section62
    Section62 Posts: 9,755 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    silvercar said:
    Section62 said:
    kkkklinky said:
    There doesn't appear to be any relatives unfortunately, heir hunters have been looking and haven't found anything, there was a substantial amount of cash in the bank account and other properties that also had tenants. Strange situation. My uncle is a solicitor and has been tracking this case. My local council has been taking over abandoned properties in order to turn into council housing so wondering if that may happen to mine.
    Yours isn't abandoned though - it belongs to the estate of your landlord which in the absence of beneficiaries belongs to the Crown.  You are also living in the property, so it doesn't need the council to intervene (yet) to make sure it is being used as a home.

    When the council advised you to stay put, did they give you any indication about applying to go on their housing list? Even if the council did (eventually) take ownership there's no guarantee they would let you carry on living there, especially if (for example) the property is larger than you need. And they would also very likely want you to move out while the property was refurbished up to their standards.  It is unlikely to be as simple as them taking over from your deceased landlord with everything else staying the same.
    I disagree. Tenant has a tenancy. I can’t see the council evicting, advising the tenant to apply to the same council as homeless and go on the housing list, with the council obliged to find accommodation in the meantime. In the same way as when housing associations take on re from others, you accept the tenants and their tenancies as part of the deal.
    I agree, except my point was that I don't think the council will do that.  The powers they have to take on 'abondoned' property and bring it back into use don't extend (afaik) to taking on properties with tenants and then continuing the tenancy on the same basis as the previous landlord had.
  • Skiddaw1
    Skiddaw1 Posts: 2,268 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Just a thought- if nothing happens for 12+ years would the OP be able to claim the house under adverse possession rules?
  • Section62
    Section62 Posts: 9,755 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    Skiddaw1 said:
    Just a thought- if nothing happens for 12+ years would the OP be able to claim the house under adverse possession rules?
    IANAL - but I think probably not.  Their occupation started with the consent of the landlord under a tenancy agreement.  If they continue to reside there as a tenant then (I assume) the permission element would continue to apply.

Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.6K Spending & Discounts
  • 244K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.9K Life & Family
  • 257.2K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.