I’m a first-time landlord and have been renting my property to three tenants from the same family for four months. Before they moved in, I confirmed they would be the only occupants, carried out referencing, and issued the contract. I agreed to one pet.
The rent is £700–£800 below market value because two separate people recommended them, and I wanted a reliable family who would pay on time and look after the house. So far, the rent has always been paid in full and on time, and I’ve promptly dealt with several maintenance issues.
However, from day one, the tenants allowed two additional people and two extra pets to move in without my permission. I’ve emailed all three tenants via OpenRent, and the lead tenant has confirmed this.
What A_A said and if (when) they refuse Section 8 them under ground 12, although you’ll need to find more breaches for a successful eviction or the first 4 months have passed, Section 21 them.
£700-800 below market value? This is excessive. No good deed goes unpunished.
Need to be hard on them early on. What they are doing is an absolute p take. I doubt anything will change though. Would extra amounts even fix the problem for you? S.21 most likely needed at earliest opportunity, hopefully will still be possible dependent on when RRB comes into practice.
You may also be running an illegal HMO , in which case the fines for LLs can potentially be huge . The undercharge on the rent is ridiculous, you are costing yourself a fortune by doing this , a fortune you may well need to cover repairs, EPC improvements and solicitors fees.
I’d have to agree with the last 2 posts £700-800 bmv flags that you’re a pushover and the tenants have picked up on this. The question of whether this is now an HMO is the most concerning though. You need to check that they’re all related and retain evidence; you need to check that the property is not statutorily overcrowded and you need to check the Right to Rent status of anyone not yet checked. If that pans out and you want to keep them, I’d suggest an £750 a month rent increase if the go back to the one pet agreed and £800 a month if they dont.
I just wanted to thank you all for taking the time to read my post and share your advice. As a first-time landlord, I really appreciate the guidance and the positive support.
In my case, the additional tenants are the daughter of the original tenants and her partner, along with two extra pets, who moved in from day one without my permission. Your input has given me a much clearer idea of my options and the steps I can take to protect both my property and the tenancy.
I’m grateful for the support from this community and the willingness to share practical solutions.
Not sure why you provided such discount just because of recommendation. Recommendation helps them to rent rather than you are taking the hit. I personally charge more is it is a short term rent (e.g. 6 months) just because I will advertise again , wear and tear while moving furniture and potential gap when next tenants comes in and also renting costs if I use high street agency. And in this particular case recommendation is not necessarily worked well as they were not honest from day one. With that discount over 4 months you could have waited another month for more stable tenants who intent do stay long term. But saying all that , now they are in and you need to keep your relations well.