Hi Ms T.
Yes we’re now pretty sure you can just send things 1st class, and clearly it’s a VERY good idea to have proof of postage in one way or another.
I didn’t know about the N215 form. Presumably this is for when you’re going to Court? (If it goes that far?)
My Tenant has 2 sons, and I found out (through a tradesman) that one of them had moved into my house in July. The tradesman said to me “You’ve got 2 Tenants.” I said What? No I don’t…
This son (who does drugs) then moved in his (unmarried) partner and new baby into the house too - and then the whole lot disappeared suddenly, leaving loads of stuff. Last month, the son was seen trying to get into my house with a key that didn’t work (a neighbour wrote to me and reported it, and I told the Police, who investigated). Had the son come back for his stuff? Why did he have ANY key at all to my house? He’s not my Tenant.
Can Tenants pass a key to anyone in their family, for just anyone to come and live there (free of charge)? Surely that’s not allowed?
Hi Ms T,
After the first month, the Tenant wasn’t seen for many weeks. Just to clarify: the Tenant himself isn’t being ‘monitored’, but because (as you know) I am so far away, the neighbours have been keeping an eye on the HOUSE, not the man. (Therefore it’s not harassment etc.)
There were no lights on day or night, nothing seen or heard. Old sofa dumped on the pavement outside. (Photo available.)
I was also told the front door handle and lock were broken, which is a huge risk to the security of the house and nullifies the insurance. Also the metal surround to the lock looked like it had been sawn through. (Photos available.)
The eviction lawyer told me I should put up an Abandonment Notice and they told me how to word it. (Fourteen days of apparent total emptiness seems to be enough.) I was also told to quickly replace the broken lock because it could be seen from the street. So I put up a Notice in the right way - but suddenly the Tenant reappeared, ripped off the Notice and broke the back lock in order to get in. (He had a key to that door, he didn’t need to break it.) Frightened neighbour called 999 and video’d what he was doing, Police attended.
The Tenant told Police he hadn’t been evicted (which was true.)
(Can’t believe I am writing this about my little house!!)
The Council says a Tenant can use a property for just 2 minutes a month if they want to, however the lawyer says the house has to be used in the normal manner as a first or only domestic residence. And if it’s going to be empty for a period of time, the Tenant has to tell the Landlord (there’s a clause in my Agreement which states this.) Most of all, a Tenant can’t live elsewhere, and use another house for free.
I’m trying to find out about the key situation right now. I really don’t think keys can be handed around just anywhere, because this would be a huge risk??
UPDATE
As a Tenant, you can’t hand your keys around. You can’t give them to your extended family if they don’t legally live in the house.
Also, from the other side: Landlords aren’t permitted to e.g. “leave a spare key with a neighbour” either, since a neighbour is not the legal owner of the house, nor mentioned in the Agreement. However, if you’re a distant Landlord (like me) I believe you could leave a key with a professional Agent who could open up the house on the Landlord’s behalf.
So my Tenant’s son (who isn’t mentioned in the Agreement, it’s a sole Tenancy) mustn’t be given a key for his own use. [I wouldn’t ever agree for this son to live in the house, because of his unacceptable lifestyle.]
