I have a young couple moved into a town house in London, they were really nice at first. But as soon as they moved in they kept reporting problems and straight away asking for compensation, even though I deal with the complaints quickly they say I have acted unreasonably and want compensation.
I now think they are breaking things themselves in an attempt to claim compensation, but they have all the laws they quote wrong it is getting really childish and silly, in the space of 3 months were I have never had problems in the property before I have had to deal with a broken boiler; 2 broken smoke alarms wired; a broken fridge and a broken washing machine. which I have all repaired very quickly. the longest being on the third day and this was due to finding it hard to find a tradesman.
Also everything is exaggerated and made to sound worse; everything is âdangerousâ âlife threateningâ causing them health problems etc for example the smoke alarm broke and I said I would send someone with a new one in the morning and they said that I was putting them in a dangerous situation etc
I am really worried to what might happen next, but I cannot prove that they are breaking things on purpose.
Also when something breaks down they hound me with multiple messages saying I am taking too long to respond this could be a few hours after reporting it and when I told them that I would offer no compensation for the boiler as I repaired it within a few days they said I needed to think again about this in a kind of threat - the whole thing is really stressing me out?
What can i do if I serve them with a section 21 as I want them out I fear it could make them angry and even more things in the property will start malfunctioning or worse that they might do something like flooding the property?
Make sure you keep a log of absolutely everything.
You sound completely reasonable in your response times, better than most.
They do sound like they are trying to rip you off. I think the only option is to issue a s.21 and deal with how they respond. You donât want the stress of unreasonable tenants hanging around your neck, alternatively once they realise you arnt budging maybe they will settle down and realise you wonât accept their nonsense, though I wouldnât chance it and id use s.21 now while you still can.
Sounds like you are covered yourself.
This is another reminder of why I donât supply white goods any more.
Hi Thanks for the reply, not professionals but in fairly decent jobs - yes I think i will take out white goods in the future. You would never think they could be like this on meeting them nice as can be, goes to show you canât judge a book by the cover!
I am wondering even though I donât need to if anyone thinks that I should pay the tenants some compensation money in the hope it would calm them down and potentially stop them wrecking the property, I know this would mean I am giving in to blackmail but I am really worried about what they could do to the place? I also know that this might not happen but have a bad gut feeling about it.
How many months was the initial period for AST? What is the earliest you can issue S21?
Act at the earliest possible time, unfortunately they are playing you and you must stand your ground. Check the AST , act in accordance and serve notice.
Iâm very concerned what this situation would be like after the introduction of the Renters Rights Bill.
Thanks David there is a break clause in the agreement so i could have them out early May at earliest. Yep i think they are trying to force Landlords out so massive companies like Blackrock can control the rental market.
Hello, as soon as break clause can be evoked give them notice.
Interesting point about white goods, what do you mean, not supplying washer/dryer, dishwasher, fridge etc.? mine are all integrated so even more expensive when replaced. thx.
How do you mean âProfessionalsâ how do you define that? and what relevance is it?
âŚexperience has shown me that it has zero bearing on how they will be as Tenants.
The worst Tenants Iâve ever had have been Doctors
some times demanding is good! i have a lawyer in one place who threatens to sue me regularly. on the other hand, him noticing emerging problems and complaining has probably saved me a lot of money in getting things solved before they grow into major issues. It depends what the intent behind the complaint is. the tenants before him in the property never said anything until it was too late and as a result I had lots of issues to deal with when they left.
People generally are looking for ways to save money and values such as conscience, common decency, respect for your property are all less important to getting what you want - a roof over your head. This applies also to everyday neighbours. The problem nowadays is that theft and damage in whatever form that takes, will not be covered by the small deposit, legal limits, and cost of recovery versus replacement costs.
I learnt the lesson of not supplying white goods, they will always cause you problems. Best if the occupants buy their own, they will take care of them
I supply a washer dryer & fridge freezer in 5 of my properties, and they cause very little problems. These are small properties & I found regular damage being caused to flooring by tenants dragging in/out their own on change-overs.