Reclaiming my goods after a eviction

Cornhusker

Hello all any advice to my dilemma would be really helpful

i lived in rented property from a private landlord with my mother who was the sole name on the tenancy agreement. That tenancy ended in January exactly on my 18th birthday when my mother ended the tenancy agreement. Because i was then 18 my mother just said i wasn't her responsibility anymore but i had no where to go despite asking the council for help so i stayed at the property.. i didn't pay rent or sign any tenancy agreement there was nothing from the estate agent who is representing the landlord. no eviction notices no letters asking me to move. They knew i was still living there.

Last Week i left the house and when i came back the locks had been changed. i was informed by the police i couldn't enter the property to claim any of my property. A couple of days later i went to the property to see if i could see if my belongings were in the house the police were called by a neighbour but after a discussion the police got the keys to the house from a neighbour and said i could go in and get essential items. Because i dont drive or had any time to arrange a removal company the police helped me moved goods in their van The police said that i would have to arrange with a removal company with the estate agent to come back for the more bulky items like beds and tables. so i arranged a removal company but when i ask the estate agents they refused to allow me in the property. they were messing me about saying they weren't the agents anymore and just been awkward. i have now received a message from the estate agents claiming that if i want to enter the property i would have to pay £500 plus vat so a estate agent worker can be there to supervisor me. i don't know if there allowed to do in first place and obviously its a extreme amount. seeing it would take about 10 mins max to empty the property of my belongings

when in the property with the police i noticed some of my belonging missing mainly a freezer internet hub and food so i got the police officer to confirm this for me. They may be more items missing but im unable to clarify this. I've asked the estate agents about this but im not getting any response from them on this matter.
There latest response says that i wasn't the legal tenant of the property but that i owe them rent for the time i was there. so i don't know if im classed as a tenant a squatter or anything else and need to know where i stand please i understand that i have different rights but i simply don't understand them . im not sure if what the landlord has done and is doing is legal

All i want is to book a removal van and remove my property from the household but i cant get access and asking for £500 from the estate agents seems wrong. i have told the landlord not to remove any of my goods from the property and be given notice if they decide to move items in the future. Like i said im 18 years and currently a college student full time so i have no income

i will thank you for your time in reading this message and any advice you can give is most welcome.

elsien

Not sure how they can say you weren’t a tenant, but you owe them money anyway.
You might want to check out some of your rights with Shelter.
I suspect they did have the right to enter and change the locks while you weren’t there, but I don’t see how they can try and charge you rent. Not sure where they stand on the fee for allowing you access but I can see why they wouldn’t want to let you back in unsupervised in case you were the vengeful type.

Herzlos

So your mother ended the tenancy, moved out and the landlord changed the locks leaving you homeless?

That's a horrible situation to be in.

If the agent says it isn't their property anymore, do you know who is responsible like the landlord? Is there anyone present at the address?

£500 to allow access is definitely excessive too. What kind of value would you put on the stuff still in the flat? Do you have anywhere to store it?

Someone will eventually need to pay to remove it, so you may be able to wait them out and offer to collect it for free.

monkey-fingers

OK, you might need to get some proper help with this.
Firstly, you were a permitted occupier. As such, the Landlord cannot evict you and your Mum is on the hook for paying the rent - you have no contract with the Landlord.

This sounds like a scumbag Landlord that doesn't know the law tbf.

They can't just kick you out either - I'm surprised the Police didn't give you this advice too. It's ultimately illegal eviction. It's an imprisonable offence.

lincroft1710

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81929794#Comment_81929794

The mother ended the tenancy so the OP ceased being a permitted occupier and became a squatter.

The police in general are not experts on rental law

Cornhusker

Thank you for reply's

The estate agent has confirmed now that they are acting has agents for the property. and all correspondence must go through them . i have no contact details of the landlord and estate agent will not give me any

i obviously don't have contact with my mother with what's she's done. That's a story in it self but my concern at the moment is just trying to get access to my stuff

The Remaining goods in the property will be around £800 just stuff like my bed and my computer. i have somewhere to store my goods if i can get access to them

Do u know any legal organisation that can help I've tried citizens advice bureau but they didn't really help and the one legal company i contacted wanted around £300 a hour to deal with it

There is no one living at the address at the moment

i just assumed at the start that i was classed has a squatter but if there now demanding rent then would i then be a tenant and the eviction made illegal

ive contacted the estate agent and given them options like the removal can happen on a day im in college or i will even stand out the estate agent office while the removal man remove the property.

My Friend would be willing to put a deposit down before the removal man come along has long its returned after the removal man left but all my offers have been refused

i have no interest in staying in the property because its uninhabited to be honest i was living in my bedroom with a microwave .and a freezer. When my mother left she took all the furniture TVs washing machines fridge cooker. . it was a roof over my head that's all

elsien

If the landlord is the owner of the property, which is not automatically the case, you might be able to get their details from the land registry. I think the fee is about £7.

If they have delegated the agent to deal with all the issues you might not have much joy with contacting them directly, but I can’t see that it would hurt to try.

silvercar

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81929819#Comment_81929819

I disagree, the mother didn’t provide an empty property back to the landlord, so hasn’t ended the tenancy.

Imagine a couple breaking up and one partner only being on the tenancy, they leave their partner behind and says they are ending the tenancy with the partner still living there. Unless everyone moves out the tenancy hasn’t ended.

silvercar

Is there a housing officer at your college? They may be able to advise you. Do you have somewhere safe to live?

Cornhusker

i spoke to the council housing officer when i found out the tenancy was ending and unofficially she said because you still have a roof over your head. whether your staying there legally or not they don't class me has homeless and the advice was to stay in the property till you get a eviction order from the court then your priority would go higher.

obviously i didn't get no eviction order so when i did get evicted it was a shock. i don't mean to sound ungrateful to the council they did offer me a hotel room but it was the other side of the city in a bad area which was a long way from my college. A friend has put me up in his garage short term until i can finish my college course then look to get a job

What's made it interesting is the estate agent asking for rent for the period i was there so if that's the case would that make me the tenant then and obviously have more rights has a legal tenant . i have asked for a statement of the bill account which hopefully will be sent to me.

i think if i started a legal claim against them they would back down and allow me to get my property because they haven't done things by the book and they would have more to lose then me in a court case but i just need some advice in how to start a claim and what roughly what to write

KxMx

You could try a few solicitors firms to see if any will offer a free 30 minutes of advice session.

Otherwise I'd try your College for support with this matter.