UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi all. 
We've just moved into a property with at £1100 pcm.
On signing our tenancy agreement, our landlord asked if we could pay £800 by bank transfer and £300 cash.  We just assumed this was a one off so agreed and signed. 
On being here a month, I've paid the next lot of rent by bank transfer but the land lord has said it needs to be every month.  I.E £800 by bank and £300 cash. 
Does that sound dodgy??
And also our tenancy agreement is signed by us for £800 pcm.

Do not comply with this. If it is tax evasion I think you could be in trouble for being a party to it. I would have refused to sign an agreement for a false rent, why did you do this? On the other hand I suppose you could just pay £800 and see what he has to say ? Does he give receipts for the cash part of payment?

I am wondering what other rules have been broken. How much was your deposit, and has it been been protected and documents given, along with gas/ electric/ EPC certificates and the rest ?

Certainly save all communications from him, does sound dodgy to me.

Here's where you can report the landlord to HMRC what they're doing is almost certainly dodging some tax - https://www.gov.uk/report-tax-fraud

I can't imagine that you'd have any issue with being caught up in a tax fraud if you do what the landlord insists. The landlord would have very little legal option if you pay £800 instead of £1100 each month, but they don't sound as if they're confined to what's lawful.

But, yes, it sounds very dodgy. Other than the inconvenience, I don't see much personal downside to you if you're happy paying £1100 for the property.

Quote from: Lowenna on March 03, 2024, 02:38:57 PMDoes that sound dodgy??

Well, I guess you've tried - really hard - to think of a good reason why it's being done... but even your Agreement tells you that it's dodgy.

Maybe it's a presumptive monthly bonus - as the Landlord expects to do a sterling job... I think the decision there should be left to you, though.

Your rent is £1,100. Your Agreement states £800. I wonder what Deposit has been taken here?

This sounds like an amazing opportunity to out a dodgy landlord.

Pay £800 a month as per your signed agreement.

The landlord won't be able to legally claim for rent arrears.

Hopefully they'd do something stupid like intimidation and or illegal eviction, in such case you'd have the full force of the law behind you £££.

And that's not even getting onto the deposit issue.

What's that old saying..? That two wrongs don't make a right, or three lefts don't make a right - but they do, don't they? I would enjoy seeing that idea play-out... "so, my written agreement states £800, and everything else is verbal and non-trackable... hmmm" - a pity that one x £1,100 seems to have been done by Faster Payment.

I may offer the option to accept rent in crypto. the next tenancy I start.