UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hello, I have issues with my tenants (new landlord). I rented my property out on a 6 month initial term but ended up having to sell so I ask the agent (Purple Bricks) to serve the S.21 notice which they did. I heard nothing and then placed the property on the market & asked the agent to notify the tenants about allowing access with 24 hours notice for viewings as per their contract. They were obstructive and denied access a few times but it eventually sold, the Viewings Agent said the property was very untidy & dirty and that prospective buyers were making comments about its presentation. As the date to vacate was approaching I asked the agent to let me know when they intended to give the keys back after their tenancy ended and was told that they had been advised by citizens advice to stay put as they had nowhere else to go yet. I was ready to start Court proceedings but they eventually found somewhere and left this weekend. I entered the property to allow access to a surveyor and was met with a terrible mess, lots of damage to fixtures and fittings and loads of their possessions still in situ. I then went back later in the day to find out that they had been back to the house and were removing their things bit by bit even though their tenancy had ended and they had also left the doors unlocked. I promptly changed the locks and advised them to return whatever keys they still had but they stated they wanted their things from the house. So I agreed to meet them at the property and gave them until 3pm to remove it but then I had to leave for another appointment. They are still saying they want the rest of their belongings even though they have left the property and I am seeking their deposit to cover the damage, clearing and cleaning of the property. Where do I stand on clearing their belongings from the property and recovery of money to pay for all the damage etc?

What's this got to do with dragging the name of Purple Bricks down?

Why would you ask them to return whatever keys they had once you had changed the locks? Are you an imbecile?

I was just looking for a heading really. However they are crap & i thought I'd rambled on long  enough without going into their failings. Much love The Imbecile.

You do need to let them collect their stuff.  I understand the temptation to take it all to the tip, and I sympathise, but I'm afraid the right thing to do is to allow access by appointment for them to remove it.

You should certainly ask the DPS for all the tenants' deposit.  You can also attempt recovery of your costs over and above the deposit amount via the small claims court procedure but most landlords find that this is a lot of cost and hassle and takes a very long time.  When and if you do finally get in front of a judge you'll find that the Courts don't have jurisdiction over the laws of arithmetic -- in other words, they can't make the tenant pay you money that the tenant doesn't have.  If I was in your situation I wouldn't bother with all that.

It sounds like you want their stuff gone, and they want their stuff back. Pragmatically, the best thing you can do is let them get on with it and don't put obstacles in their way.

Look at it from their point of view: they'd got a nice home which they were presumably happy with and, all of a sudden, they've been given two months' notice to find somewhere else and go through all the stress and expense of moving again. I appreciate your circumstances may have left you with no option, and you're acting within the law, but there's no sense in making life difficult for them on top of all that.

Besides, you don't wan't them raising questions over whether they'd actually ended the tenancy at the point when you changed the locks.