UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi all,  any thoughts on getting rid of my tenant from hell much appreciated. Was sick of paying agents fees only to have to find new tenants every six months as they all seemed to use the house as a stepping stone while they found somewhere to buy. ... Anyway put up a board and advertised and was approached by a single mum whose benefit would have amply have covered rent plus council promised to benefit directly to me and offered a bond which guaranteed a months rent in the event of damage/rent arrears.

As I was looking for a long term tenant it seemed ideal but within weeks of her moving in discovered she was working so only entitled to half the rent, plus she had been overpaid in the past so council deduct £10 a week from her benefit. She has a huge devil dog which was never mentioned...the list goes on. Despite her assurances that she will set up a standing order to meet the shortfall it is yet to happen and I have had one payment but had to keep calling round to collect it.

To top it all her boyfriend appears to be a permanent fixture (she insists he has his own place and only stays over occasionally?). As the council are paying benefit directly to me in the event of her claiming fraudulently do they come after me for overpayment? Am reluctant to shop her as I may be shooting myself in the foot. Am planning on serving a section 21 as soon as possible (she is only three months into the tenancy) but her premature baby has just died (pregnancy was another thing she forgot to mention) so feel very awkward

Hello Kate,

I'm sorry I don't know much about Council benefit laws or regs, so I'm not going to answer that part of your question.  I thik you're doing the right thing with a Section 21, but I'd leave it a while.  Just in case the 21 dropping onto her mat makes her decide to say something to the council to make them not pay you directly.

Do the 21 just before the last valid date you can serve it.  Don't let the pregnancy thing eat you up.  You're in business.  And you customer has lied to you about her dog and boyfriend and financial circumstances.  Time to get rid of a rubbish customer!

Thanks for that. I was feeling guilty at considering evicting her but her bereavement doesn't stop her paying for the top of the range sky/mobile package and on my last visit when I hand delivered a letter reminding her of arrears and asking her to set up a standing order, she dodged the issue by telling me all about the new car she was getting!! Very galling.

From reading on the website, am I correst in thinking that a section 21a is best and needs to be served two months before the end of the AST, as if I leave it to the end of the AST by the end of the two month notice period it will have become a periodic tenancy and I will  have to make sure of stating the correct date.to serve a section 21b.

Sorry to sound dim but it has been very confusing because the council pay benefit four weeks in arrears but we agreed the rent on a calander monthly basis. Had I received full benefit as she had led me to believer it would not have made any difference as it would have fully covered the rent.  As it is I have to work out the weekly shortfall which is just not forthcoming.

Am also angry that the housing officer who set up the bond and assured  me I would get full rent must have been aware of her previous overpayment which is being deducted on a weekly basis - have since learned the council prosecuted her for benefit fraud just a month before she moved into my property