Hi everyone, my tenant of eight years is becoming more difficult. She has split from her husband and now lives with a partner 4 kids and when I visited 2 days ago, a dog (she claimed she was only keeping it for two weeks). They do very little in the house and recently burnt the fuse box by taking a fuse in the water heater and putting it in where the sockets should go. A 15 amp in a 30amp! They also left the lid off the oil tank and I had to get a specialist out to test for water. I’ve had enough. When their lease ends in a month, I am going to renew it for 6 months to give them time to look for somewhere else. I’ve given them until June, telling them (in writing) I was going to sell the house. Is there anything else I need to do?
If they agree to move out and they do, happy days, but what you have done so far is not a formal way to end a tenancy.
If they don’t move out, you would have to evict them & to do that you must serve the correct paperwork, and ensure that all of your paperwork, documents etc issued at the start of the tenancy are fully compliant. If you have no idea what I am talking about, I would recommend that you consult an eviction specialist for advice.
I personally would not be renewing any rental agreement where I wanted the tenant out. You should be able to leave the existing AST to roll over into a periodic agreement. Again, if you dont know what this means, then you need to study or consult a professional adviser or appoint an agent to make sure that everything is done right.
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I’ll study all of that, thank you. My understanding was that I have to give them 3 months notice due to the length of their tenancy.
Dont give them a new agrerment. Just let it go periodic.
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I won’t! It can go periodic, thank you
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depends entirely what the tenancy agreement you signed says as to what notice you have to give. What does it say?
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“getting rid” sounds like you are dealing with vermin, allow them some dignity, if you maintain that attitude throughout the process you will run into trouble
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Did I say getting rid?
The heading at the top says " getting rid of tenants"
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When you are pushed into having to ‘get rid’ of bad tenants we Landlords do use the term ‘getting rid of tenants’ . It doesn’t sound like they are respecting your place by what you say so you need to serve them a Section 21 Notice which give them two months to go. Then do your best to try to get decent tenants who will appreciate a nice roof over their heads
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Sorry, I didn’t spend much time trying to phrase it in a better light. It wasn’t intended to denigrate them but I absolutely take your point.
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I didn’t mean to make them sound less than human. I had to visit them again today and the tenant has acquired a small dog without permission. I will read up on Section 21 and I thank you for the sound advice.
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He was allowing them ample time to find another place to live, it doesn’t sound like he was getting the exterminators in just yet.
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I totally get it… It can be hard to be “phrase correct” when speaking about people.
Agree with Karl11, i would let it go periodic.
As an aside, is all your paperwork in order? The reason i ask is that i am surprised you still have rewirable fuses after getting an EICR done.
Paperwork must be in order to evict or it’ll be thrown out by the court if the tenants contest.
Let it go periodic and issue a S21 at the appropriate time. Maybe tell them your intention and say you want to do up the property or something.
Hi John your a lot more patient than me, giving them 6 months when your not obligated to do especially as they have disrespected your property. They certainly won’t appreciate you taking a softer option
I would suggest a S21 notice to go in 2 months. It stands to reason that not only is the competition greater than ever for tenants wanting to rent a home but your tenants are further disadvantaged from a new Landlords choice to start with having a dog in tow (assuming it’s possibly going to be a permanent fixture)
Just make sure all your paperwork is up to date (incase of the worst scenario that you have to push it into court) with gas and elec certs and prescribed information and deposit cert all issued to the tenant at the start if the tenancy. If the paperwork isn’t correct that’s all the excuse the judge needs to throw it out
Thanks, I have been very patient with them. I called a few days ago and she was still ‘minding’ a small dog. I asked who owned the dog and she said, “I do, now”, not so much as asking for permission. When I explained that her contract did not allow dogs, she said it was only a small dog…
They have zero respect for me and I think her ex, whom she told the benefits office, had moved out, has moved back in again. I’m not sure what scam they’re playing at…
I made so many mistakes feeling sorry for tenants like that, people don’t understand the stress LL go through, I have a tenant refused to move out even after section 21, she is from the council, they called me offered me to cover the difference on rent she can’t afford, I excepted for her to stay a year more, she refused to sign the contract saying she needs permanent accommodation from Council that she won’t want to stay that long, if she dose sign contract that’s what will happen, I was confused. Council offering to pay and give her a nice house for a year till they find her something yet she refused to sign and they refused to give me my rent she missing, I lost she still there paying very little, now another section 21 given no communication with me, no need to communicate with them, do it in writing only. Do your health and safety check in your flat, After S21 if they refused serve her court order, in long term they are pain, financially you will lose, they claim benefit wherever they go, but no one will pay your mortgage and service charges etc
My one pretending nothing happen I have a feeling that she won’t move out
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Thanks for that. I told her verbally that I wanted her out by June and she seems unfazed. What really bothers me about dealing with them is the fact that she’s been here for 8 years and has made very little attempt to speak English. This makes communication a nightmare. She has 3 children, 13, 15 and 19, they all speak perfect English and I’ve been telling her that they would be her best teachers if she’d designate even one evening a week as an ‘English only’ time but no.
She’d even be able to get a job instead of scrounging!
Get them .out Use an eviction specialist These are scroungers . Do not be soft . Her words,your words ,mean nothing . Get them out with an eviction specialist Or in June you will be telling the same story
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