UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi, I received an e.mail today from my tenants saying they have moved out of my house and gone back to their homeland (Germany).  The rent was due two days ago, which they have of course not paid. I've just been round there to look what state it has been left in.  They have left loads of rubbish in the house, garage and garden, including several large items,  eg. mattresses, broken furniture, barbeques together with general household rubbish.   They have not provided me with a forwarding address, nor do I expect that I'm going to get one, though I am of course already worrying about unpaid council tax, and suchlike.  (I understand that the tenant and not the landlord is responsible for unpaid utility bills and I intend to contact those companies tomorrow).

I have not sent any response to the tenant since I received his text which was totally out of the blue as for the last couple of years I've had no problems whatsoever. I thought they were very decent, professional people.  I'm so shocked that I would really welcome some help in how to approach the situation.  Do I have to give them notice to collect their furniture within a particular period before I can dispose of it, even though it has presumably been left because it's in a broken state and I will have to pay someone to remove it? I will ask for a forwarding address but I don't really expect to get one so what would I do with any mail that comes for them (assuming they have not had the mail re-directed)? Officially, they have 8 months left to run on an AST agreement which was given at their request).  Any advice would be much appreciated before I send a reply to them in the morning.  Thank you!

You should give a Tenant who's left property behind a "reasonable time" to collect it... do that, if you can. Bills are the liabilities of the Tenants, of course. All mail can be returned "not known at this address" in a post box. One presumes you have a Deposit protected with a Scheme and you could now be able to avail yourself of that... and get your sleeves rolled-up, getting the property ready for the next Tenant. I guess at least they told you..? Small mercies.

THANKS for your reply Hippogriff.  Am I right in thinking that because he has actually e.mailed me and told me that he has 'moved out of the house and left the country' this means that this is NOT  classed as 'Abandonment' ... meaning that we have every right to enter our property and begin clearing up, etc.

It's almost impossible to believe that people can treat you like this and you still can't know what the best thing to do actually is.. they leave owing money, they leave a pile of junk and damage, they give you know warning that everything is about to change for you... and yet you just know that somewhere, somehow, there is probably a law that will make it wrong for you to do what makes sense..

I'd be emptying the house, dumping all the rubbish and either re-letting or selling the property without a second thought.. but, then again, I'd probably end up being sued and loosing thousands in costs and fines for breaching someone's rights or breaking some law that allows this selfish abuse of common sense to continue..

I hope you find the answers and I hope you'll come back here and share your experiences for the benefit of others in the same situation... a lot of people take advice but very few seem to come back with progress reports and I find that a little bit frustrating..

Good luck, don't let it make you angry, you've done nothing wrong....yet...

Thanks for your message. I too find it very difficult to believe that people can treat us like this, particularly when we have been nothing but 'excellent landlord's'. It will probably be a long time before I'm able to post an update.

Well, all Landlords believe they're "excellent Landlords"... even Peter Rachman did, and that guy off the telly we've all seen and shaken our heads at.

I believe I'm an excellent Landlord.

I would email to tell them you will be disposing of everything if not removed in say 14 days time.I very much doubt they will respond.Personally,I would just get it out asap,and get the place ready to relet.I can't see they have any grounds to contest this.Don't let the scare stories put you off.

I agree with WeightyAmbience. I would start the clean up, move their things into a single place if possible and give them 14 days notice in writing by whatever means possible to collect their things.  I'd also apply ASAP for their deposit, sending photos and their message as some form of proof they have gone.

Did they leave you the keys back? Also when you reference checked them where did they work? I'd be a little more curious. Finally Did they actually depart via moon light? If so its kinda romantic...