UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi All,

I'm after a bit of advice, please.

On 25 November 2023, a Tenant abandoned the Tenancy Agreement without having permission in doing so. He left with approximately 2 months arrears. The Tenancy Agreement was due to end in March 2024.  He handed his keys back and confirmed via text message that he was leaving and provided us with the location of the keys. I asked him for a forwarding address but unsurprisingly, he didn't provide one.

We are wanting to try and pursue the arrears and the amount up to the end of the 12-month fixed term.

I still have his email address, therefore I have just this second sent him a Letter Before Action letter.

If we want to issue and serve proceedings, I assume that I can't do this without an address for the Court to serve papers to? I've read online that I can insert the last known address onto the Court form - would that be acceptable, even though I know he has left? 

If not, then I guess I will have to give it a few months and use a tenant tracing service?

Many thanks in advance.

You can use the tenant's last known address (your property) and hope the tenant has set up mail forwarding. You could ask the tenant if they have another address they'd prefer you to use via email and keep a copy.

But you can't sue for the rent until it's owed.
How have you ended the tenancy? Did you accept the tenant's offer to surrender? If so they only owe rent to that point.
If not, you'll have to wait for the rest of the rent until the very end and not let the property in the interim.