Final Rent Bill for Deceased Tenant – How Long Should I Wait?

seagull77

My mother passed away in December, and I’m handling her estate. She lived in a council flat, which I emptied, cleaned, and returned the keys for in mid-January. I was told a final rent bill would be issued since her housing benefit stopped the day she died and there might be additional charges for cleaning etc.

Despite requesting the final bill four times, I’ve only been told there’s a backlog. It’s now been over three months. I want to settle her estate properly, but I can’t allocate funds for an unknown amount. There’s very little left after covering her funeral and other expenses, and I’d like to distribute what remains to her grandchildren.

How long am I reasonably expected to wait before considering the matter closed? If a bill does arrive later, am I legally obliged to pay it from an estate that has already been distributed? They’ve had all the necessary documents, including her death certificate, since December.

Any advice or shared experiences would be appreciated.

Robin9

Contact your local Councillor and ask him/her to give the council a nudge.

Keep_pedalling

Unfortunately as executor you are responsible for paying it if you distribute it all before you get that final bill. Debts can be enforced up to 6 years in England and Wales, 5 years in Scotland. 

sammyjammy

three months is nothing, do you not have some idea of how much it will be?

HampshireH

Rather than rushing to the cllr I'd keep that in my back pocket.

Go through the council complaints process. Then if you still get no response play your cllr card.

Is there not an online account you can self serve via?

p00hsticks

I'm sorry for your loss. 

Bear in mind there may be other amounts still to come into (or go out of ?) the estate - my father died last March and as executor I only received a tax refund for him from HMRC this January.   

If your others income (pension or otherwise) was high enough for her to be paying tax it's quite possible that she will be due a tax refund as well, but it could be many months before it arrives.

seagull77

thanks. i have already received the final accounts for tax and benefits. and paid all the utilities etc. I don't think anything else will be coming. I will wait a bit longer, 3 months seemed to be along time to me but I guess it's not in the scheme of things.