Yeah that’s a big ball to drop, if he is still contracted in to the first 6 months of the tennacy, once he is 8 weeks behind you can issue a Section 8 Eviction notice, this often wakes tenants up to motivate them to pay and to make them realise you are serious, something you can do at the same time as this is issue a court money order, £60, apply online, for money owed, best time to issue is before they leave. ideally though it’s better to sort the problem without an actual eviction. next time do references, for example, via Open Rent, whoever passes referencing automatically is qualified to receive rent guarantee insurance for £8 per month.
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Hi Everyone, back with an update. I contacted solicitors provided by OpenRent, they hand served his notice to be out of the property by 27th Nov. I am back in the U.K. and went up to check, it appears that he has changed the locks. To me, it looks like he has left, there is post left behind in the mailbox, and two letter pushed under the door. As he has changed the locks, I’m not really sure what the next step is, the solicitor said as I didn’t receive a formal notice from him that he’s left, technically he is still there. But I know he has changed his number and I doubt he would have bothered saving my phone number to let me know!
I don’t particularly want to fork out the £1000 for the solicitors to take the next step which is court when I think he’s gone. A friend has suggested the police, but i really Don’t know what the laws are as they seem to be all in favour of the tenant and letting myself into my own property apparently is illegal?
Any help appreciated!
ask the neighbours … put a small piece of sellotape across the bottom door/frame and see if latter disturbed… sit outside and see if anyone goes in
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Any update? If you put a notice through the door giving 24 hours notice that you are going to inspect I think that would be legal - I would have thought it would also be legal to get a gas certificate or electric check?
I used OpenRents legal service and he has now been evicted. The eviction date was 27th November, as he didn’t communicate or return my keys I visited the apartment twice and there was no sign of life-all lights off and post shoved under the door uncollected.
On 5th Dec I have him 24 hour notice via text to tell him I will be coming to the apartment on the 6th.
No response, no sign of life when I arrived, tried my keys, he had changed the locks, called a locksmith who changed them, he had left a few belongings, I just left them until I knew what to do next. On Dec 10th I was contacted by the police to inform me the property had been broken into and ‘cleaned out’ he had broken the door beyond repair. So he’s doing well!
Obviously changing the locks and then damaging the door cost a lot to replace along with the costs of the solicitor and the fact he wasn’t paying rent.
This was a hard lesson to learn financially but he’s gone now and I’ve made the decision to use a letting agent who vets all tenants and provided rent guarantee, as I’m not in the country most of the time. This is the better option for me!
Thank you to everyone who gave me advice and helped support me though this! It’s good to know I’m not alone!
send his name to as many agents as possible as a warning
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HI
I know of someone in a similar situation who also gave the tenants the benefit of the doubt. Eventually they stopped paying. She gave the section 21 notice and played nice despite them not paying for 2 months and managed to get them out at the end of the notice without going through the courts. They left the house in a state and she lost 2 months rent but could still have been worse.
Not sure if you can give a section 21 within the first 6 months. I would check (to be sure) and if you do make sure you gave all the relevant documents (gas certificate deposit scheme info, right to rent, ecp etc). So no delays in getting him out.
Cant you send someone round to speak to him? Did you get his work references? Can you call his employer?
I’ve only just read this and am sending all my sympathy to you, No-one deserves to be treated like this, especially when you were prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. I hope in the end he get what he deserves. The saddest thing is that his actions as a lowlife tenant colour how we feel about future tenants and tenants such as Sean9 suffer.
I’ve had some lovely tenants and some less lovely but none as bad as your guy. I can only wish your future tenants are of the lovely kind.
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