UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hey there,

Totally new to this forum so not sure if this post belong here, apologies if it doesn't. I wanted to share a situation I've encountered with a tenant and seek some advice from those who might have experienced something similar.

A few years back, I purchased a leasehold parking space in London as an investment. It's been a smooth journey so far, as I've been renting it out successfully for a couple of years. However, I recently hit a roadblock that I'm not quite sure how to navigate.

For the past two years, my tenant had been prompt with payments, but things took a sudden turn when he stopped paying the rent for the last two months. To make matters worse, he's become completely unresponsive to my messages, phone calls, and emails. During a recent visit to the flat, I managed to speak to his wife, who assured me that she would have him contact me. Unfortunately, that never happened.

Upon further investigation, I discovered the tenant's mailbox was brimming with unopened mail. This raised my concerns, and I decided to reach out to his flat's landlord via email. Shockingly, I learned that he hasn't been paying the full rent and that they were in the process of pursuing legal action through the claims court.

Feeling the need to take action, I issued a letter with a 14-day notice period, informing him of my intentions to pursue similar measures if the rent issue remains unresolved. However, here's where I'm facing a significant hurdle and where I'm hoping some of you might have valuable insights.

The tenant possesses a key that grants access to the car park. Unfortunately, this key cannot be deactivated remotely. This presents a considerable challenge since I cannot rent out the space to someone else if I were to acquire a new key. It's as if I'm stuck in limbo indefinitely.

I'm reaching out to this community to seek advice on how to handle this tricky situation. Has anyone encountered a similar issue with uncooperative tenants and keys? How did you manage to resolve it? I'm open to any suggestions or strategies that might help me navigate through this challenge.

Thank you all in advance for your insights and support. Your expertise could make a significant difference in helping me find a way forward.