UK Landlord Forum / Life

After serving S21,the tenants asked me to be flexible,they were having problems finding somewhere to go.I agreed,but in the end they moved out on the day.The council phoned my LA to say they were assisting them,would I supply a reference? I declined.Would I confirm the rent had been paid up to date then? Yes,that much was true.It seems they contact all the agents in the area,and agree to pay the rent if there is a problem.I have never heard of this before.One of them works,and they were just within the income level of needing a guarantor.

I can only assume the council witheld the reasons why I served 21 at month 5,and some poor wretch has now got them as tenants.Nice.Meanwhile,within 24 hours I got the council tax bill for a year,and despite informing them it will be let soon,I will get demands threatening court action,if past experience is anything to go by.

It is not your problem where they go / went. You did your bit as a Landlord - you didn't provide a fake positive reference to get them out from under you. You don't need to provide a negative reference, at all, you can just do what you did - decline. You can also answer "yes" / "no" type questions about rent payment honestly without feeling as though you've done yourself a disservice. If it's true that the rent was paid on time and in full, then it's true. For some Landlords that will be priority number one, possibly their only priority. As for Council Tax, it's not personal... it's Council Tax. The one bill you don't even bother messing around with... you just pay what's due when it's due, you suck it up.

I take your point,absolutely.I'm just glad to be shot of them.I have never been approached by a council looking to rehome people (this couple have no children by the way) but I would be very wary if I was after this.Rent is important.This is costing me money to relet,not something I would do lightly.

My main gripe is why is the council using taxpayers money to act as a letting agent/guarantor, for people in the private sector who would not qualify for social housing? In effect,by refusing to comply with not just my requests,but those of Environmental Health,they made themselves homeless.

I guess it's called Society. There are people in the world who can't survive without assistance. If you were Nietzsche, or subscribed to his philosophy (and many do, and it's not a bad thing) then you might say "just let them fall by the wayside"... it's the price we pay for having a safety net and something that's a bit more than a safety net. I have an incoming Tenant who is in receipt of a number of benefits (lovely house, not your typical LHA abode, nicely-done) and she just asked me if she can get Sky TV installed. Of course she can. I expect it. However, in a conversation, it transpires she has THE FULL PACKAGE... whatever that means, it probably means an expense of £50 per month or more... £600 per year or more than a month's rent... and there's me, with Freeview (and lovin' it).

I could be wrong, but I think Sky contracts are an indicator of people at the lower end of society these days. Those that still think it's some kind of status symbol. Those that haven't the wherewithal to escape. People in receipt of significant amounts of benefits who elect to spend that money on Sky TV are not uncommon and it makes me think lots of things are wrong with our Society. However, them's the rules. The money is farmed-out and the recipient is allowed to do what they want with it.

With your situation, as I digressed somewhat, the Council likely thinks those people are potentially shortly going to become their problem, so may be acting before that happens. I am unsure of policy in this regard, and I find that many Councils differ anyway. I always thought that when a Tenant was considered to have made themselves homeless they removed the chance of any help... but obviously there must be grey areas.

What I think I'm getting at is this... it is not for us to wonder why, is it for us to provide good quality homes at reasonable prices.

Hmm,I'm a Labour voter,always have been,anti-Royalty too.But I do love the femail articles in the Daily Mail... I shall make a coffee and listen to my favourite version of Common People by William Shatner and Jarvis Cocker, to get me thinking along the correct lines again..I can only aspire to be the philanthropist landlord,how have your morals remained so unsullied?
A street beggar (no dog!) took to slumping on the pavement  near our local Waitrose.Next to him piles of Costa cups and sandwich wrappers.A kind lady was giving him yet another hot drink when I walked past recently,to which his response was "Didn't they have the cherry topping?" 

Your own morals are principal. People decide who they will be. Then work within the possibilities that are, often, allowed. One cannot, and I'm absolutely sure you will not, allow bad experiences to affect morals. Landlording is far from philanthropy, but we can each do a little bit (our little bit) to make things a bit better. You already demonstrated that by being flexible. I would do the same. I've given people a chance who have failed referencing. I let one woman run rings around me regarding an LHA top-up. I'm no pushover and I'm not green. My morals advise me to let some things slide. Not because I don't care, because I care (sniff) too much.

I agree that we need our own core values,and should strive to hang onto them,regardless of provocation.However,a basic sign of intelligence in animals is the ability to adapt and learn from experience.O.K.,so far no tenant has given me electric shocks,but I have had plenty of stress and financial loss.You are right that we should our bit.Maybe that little bit should include reminding the feckless that it's time to stop taking the piss,and they might just gain a bit of self-respect in the process.

I have no guilt about owning rental property.I don't feel I have to over-compensate.I have known hardship,and have been a tenant.I have let many things slide,with tenants who were basically decent and doing their best.This pair got their full deposit back.The oven is filthy,the whole freshly-painted flat needs doing again,they staged some kind of "dirty campaign" before leaving,dark paint daubed all over the place,the fold-down bed collapsed due to wood warping.This is not me being helpful to them,I simply can't be arsed!

I once had a shouting match with a Tenant at the Check-Out. I promised myself before I went in that I would keep my cool. It escalated when he refused to provide a forwarding address and I asked about what happens with any unpaid bills or follow-on post, and pointed out the AST clause that says the Tenant would provide their (not a) forwarding address. It quickly escalated from there. At the end of the Check-Out he plodded down the steps from the front door, in his big woollen full-length coat, stopped, turned back to look at me standing at the front door and said, mournfully... "it's been emotional" (I stress, I do not make this up or exaggerate for effect)... I laughed and slammed the door shut. He wasn't feckless, he was a Professor and published author. He didn't understand how you might use Polyfilla, that's for sure... but he obviously wanted to "give it a go". Research, I guess.

What was my point again? Oh, yes, I had a few minutes...

<I must say that advice from people like your good self on this forum has helped me deal with these latest tenants.I have refused to take the considerable manipulative bait,played  with a straight bat,tried to be as detached as possible.I was all smiles and dimples at the check-out,while the woman lay on the sofa,as usual in her jimjams,scowling." Get them out,get the keys back" was my mantra.Had a fair bit of strong red wine afterwards though.

Dimples take people far.

Ain't that the truth.