Unwelcome tenant.

J,M · 6 October 2017 at 5:15PM

Carried out all the recommended checks on our new tenant, passed with flying colours, but unbeknown to us we rented to a convicted sex offender who has done jail time. Never crossed our minds to ask if he had commited any offense, does anyone request that of potential tenants?

I am taking an awful lot of stick from my neighbours, some of whom have children, and naturally are extremely concerned. I have asked him to vacate but so far no response.

Can I or any authority come to that make him vacate?

gycraig_2 · 6 October 2017 at 5:21PM

If you haven't asked on original stage I'd imagine your stuck with him till at least end of tenancy

Slithery · 6 October 2017 at 5:28PM

J,M wrote: »

Can I or any authority come to that make him vacate?

No.

This is something that you should have checked before assigning him a tenancy if you weren't willing to let to ex-criminals.

Lauraliz · 6 October 2017 at 5:30PM

How are you sure he is a sex offender?

If he was a risk to children and as such he was on the register and under a local probation office he would not be allowed to live there. I used to work as part of a team who worked with offenders in general. There is a lot of work that goes on before and after release with these types of offender. They are not just released.

My first thought was that he had done his time does he not deserve a chance?

seashore22 · 6 October 2017 at 5:35PM

How did your neighbours find out?

How did you find out?

You say sex offender and then mention parents with children. Do you know that he is a child abuser? Not all sex offenders are a danger to children.

Not nice people maybe, but they have to live somewhere I guess and that somewhere appears to be in your property. No I don't think that there is anything you can do. They have as much right as anyone to enter into a rental agreement once they've served their sentence.

lynz68 · 6 October 2017 at 5:45PM

As far as I'm aware you can't do a criminal record check on anybody anyway. So asking a potential tenant about criminal history they can just lie.

I would be very careful of labelling someone a sex offender without confirmed proof not just gossip.

If the neighbours have concerns they should raise them with local police who can check his background and make sure he is OK to live in that area.

Not all sex offenders are child abusers the offences covered by the legislation are wide and varied.

moneyistooshorttomention · 6 October 2017 at 5:52PM

Guess all you can do is tell the neighbours he's been given notice (which covers your back) that it's not your fault.

You may well find matters taken out of your hands anyway - with the neighbours knowing. I've certainly been told a couple of accounts of just what a neighbour said directly to the person concerned when they found out about having a sex offender move in nearby.......and they weren't offering them a cup of coffee in the event.

Jenniefour · 6 October 2017 at 6:08PM

There's a sex offender living near most of us, but we just don't know it.

How did the parents find out? How did you find out? And do you know for a fact that his offences involved children? As Lauraliz has said great is taken when child sex offenders are released.

I would also be taking great care who I was passing this information on to as well as careless gossip in the past has led to people being attacked, including those who do not have a criminal record at all.

J,M · 6 October 2017 at 6:09PM

To all, please accept the fact that he is a registered sex offender.

I,m off for a pint.

G_M · 6 October 2017 at 6:13PM

What kind o tenancy did you agree with him? Is it a contractual periodic, or a fixed term?

If periodic, how long is each period?
If fixed term, when does it expire, and is there a Break Clause?

The answers to these questions will determine when you can end the tenancy.

elsien · 6 October 2017 at 6:16PM

Who will be told about my offence(s)?
In general, the decision to disclose will be made on a case by case basis, either by the police (from the Public Protection Unit) or by your probation officer if you are on licence. If you are under MAPPA, any other agencies involved in the assessment of your risk may also be involved in any decision to disclose.
Any decision to disclose will be based on a proper risk assessment, which should take into account the potential consequences of disclosure to you and your family. The reason for providing information about you to others must be based on your risk of sexual harm to the public or to particular individuals. For example, if you have a conviction for adult rape and you live in shared accommodation, the police may inform your housemates of your conviction if they feel that you present a risk.
Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme (Sarah’s Law)
The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme was rolled out across England and Wales in 2011. This allows anyone concerned about a child to formally ask the police if someone with access to a child has a record for child sexual offences. Criminal record checks are carried out on the applicant. Following a full risk assessment, the police will reveal details, in person, to the person most able to protect the child (usually parents, carers or guardians) if they think it is in the child’s interests. The person who is told is not allowed to tell anybody else.

So is your information from a reliable source, should they be sharing it or has someone put two and two together and come up with 26?

On what grounds have you asked him to vacate? Is there a legal basis for doing so, because if it's just because you don't want him there he's probably not answered because he's checking out his options and drafting a reply pointing out that you may have no legal way to terminate the tenancy at this point.

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Unwelcome tenant.

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