First Eviction........

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Big Sis..
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First Eviction........

Post by Big Sis.. »

I rent some houses in the UK long term stuff and have always been pretty lucky with my tenants up to now, BUT......

One family I have at the moment have been problems from the start with all sorts of excuses as to why the rent was late etc and well TBH Ive been toooo nice :oops:
I should really have been harder with them and nearly told them to go in December, and then thought well its Xmas and they have children etc.......
Well it came to a head when we got back from out Hols and nothing had been paid in at all[usually when I nag them I get some results but of course I hadnt been here to do it) amd they owe nearly 2 months rent.

So I said ......well you should be able to get some help from the council as you have a family and a low income [seemingly non existent at times] and she said no she couldnt.........so I said I will give them a ring for you and see if I can get you some help....
and when I did a helpful person at the council made me smell the roses[without spelling it out completely] :roll:

Of course, near enough from day one[last May ]the council have been sending her the rent to pay to me and of course she never passed it on.

So a cautionary tale really and as I say I know I should be stricter but I do think the best of people........
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

Happened to our neighbours last year too. They've recently been to court over it. Get them out as soon as possible, swallow your pride, and don't get involved with pursuing them for the money. Our neighbours did, and ended up with a counter claim for the bond, as they had retained part of it because of damage. They ended up losing because they were financially more able to pay.
dbar
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Re: First Eviction........

Post by dbar »

Big Sis.. wrote:TBH Ive been toooo nice :oops:
I've been in the landlord game for 10 years. I made this mistake with my very first tenants. A young couple, about to be married. They paid the rent for two months, and then stopped paying the full amount, with each month's rent paid getting smaller and smaller. I was way too understanding from the get go.

All the while I had been dealing with the prospective husband. One day when I phoned to nag about the rent in the nicest possible way, the wife-to-be answered his mobile. She was shocked to say the least, as she had been transferring money (almost the full rent) to his account every month.

The story ends with the wife-to-be finding out that her husband-to-be has a major league coke habit, so she cancels the wedding at quite some cost as it was for the following week. How she could have lived with somebody without discovering he had such a large habit beats me.

So if I had been harder on them from day one, she wouldn't have wasted her time with him, and I wouldn't have been out of pocket. Lesson learned - any problems with rent that are not settled by the following month, heave-ho proceedings started (unless they have a really really really good excuse - I am hard, but fair)
Big Sis.. wrote: So a cautionary tale really and as I say I know I should be stricter but I do think the best of people........
I used to think like that, but after ten years in the game, I am afraid that I now start off by assuming that I am dealing with the lowest possible forms of life until they prove me wrong.

I could write a book on the number of problems I have had, but here are just a few:

Two cases of flats being totally stripped - radiators, boilers. the lot.

One flat needing almost total refurbishment after two months (when it had been refurbished just before the tenants moved in). They expected me to pay for it, and find them alternative accomodation while the work was being done. I dont think so.

One cannabis factory.

And I dont take tenants who dont have impeccable references from both previous landlords and current employers.
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Martha
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Post by Martha »

Ros I'm so sorry to hear this :( Big hugs, these people's life will be its own reward, just as all the friends and happiness that surrounds you is yours. xxxx
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Nemo
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Post by Nemo »

Bad luck BS. Really hope you can get them out quickly and some good tenants in. It takes all sorts doesn't it...... :(
KathyG
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Post by KathyG »

I rent property out too Ros and I feel I get walked on by tenants but when I was a tenant it was the landlord who held all the cards. I'm way too soft too and I know how difficult it is, I hate having to confront my tenants over anything. Pathetic really.

Latest is leaking pipe under concrete floor that I was trying to get them to pay for, it's a commercial lease. But then she insisted that the previous lessee had had the same problem for years. Never told me though. I gave in and OH is fixing it this weekend. :oops: She's not going to get away with it when the building needs painting this summer. :evil:

Anyway I'm sorry you're going through it with your lot. Hope the next tenants are just perfect. :D
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Marks
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Post by Marks »

If it helps I know a good evicter of tenants, a scowling Scouser with a baseball bat :lol:
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Thanks All :)
Its just not nice being lied to......
and it makes me smile[not] that you have to give them 2 months notice, even if theyre behind with their rent, and have broken other terms of the lease.

And as we all know, thats the notice you have to give when youve had 'normal nice rent paying people' staying, so it makes you wonder why people WOULD pay their rent on time :roll:

Its not as bad as I first thought though.

As I assumed I wouldnt get any rent for the 2 months while I was waiting.......
but the council are going to send me the rent contribution directly...[now theres an idea].
Why they dont do that all the time I dont know, or at least contact the landlord , to see if the rent is actually getting through.
Because, of course, if these people are not paying rent and then becoming homeless, they have to pick up the pieces. :roll:
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christinedavid
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Post by christinedavid »

I also let out property long term (for about 3 years now). But I use a letting agency. They collect the rent and deal with repairs etc (up to a limit without contacting me). It works very well. I don't get involved with the tenants at all. I would definitely recommend this way of doing it. My Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement is watertight, for both parties, and was also sorted out by the agency.
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Normandie
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Post by Normandie »

Big Sis.. wrote: Why they dont do that all the time I dont know, or at least contact the landlord , to see if the rent is actually getting through.
Perhaps because of some aspect of tenant privacy but possibly also because (as I was reading elsewhere) some landlords won't accept tenants who're in receipt of housing benefit even if it is paid to them (the landlord) direct.

Whether that choice is legally open to them or not I don't know but that's the way it can be.
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

I have used a letting agency in the past for one of the houses but TBH I wasnt impressed by them.
Id much rather have responsibilty myself.
I have 3 other houses I rent out,and have done for about 10 years and have always managed then with no problems.
As I say for some reason I was too nice to these tenants......probably because they had young children, and I felt sorry for them, [still do to some extent which I know is daft but hey thats me]:oops:

I have a lease agreement drawn up by my solicitor, but of course until you have to put it into force, you dont know how it will hold up..and Ive been told that I still have to give 2 months notice.

You dont know how watertight an agreement is until you have to enforce it.
.
Phil Schofield
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Post by Phil Schofield »

By all accounts starting out with let properties be stressful, there are some socking stories about on tenants who 'play the renting game'.

Another useful forum for landlords is landlordzone.co.uk/forums/forum.php
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apexblue
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Post by apexblue »

So sorry to hear Ros. Have you issued a Section 8 and 21 also? If you need any help with the latest legits PM me as sister in law is a lettings manager and rules are changing all the time www.propertyinvestmentproject.co.uk/blo ... g-tenants/
It is better to remain quiet and have one think you are stupid, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt....

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Giddy Goat
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Post by Giddy Goat »

I am sorry too Ros, what a hassle to come home from holidays to and I do hope it's resolved swiftly and painlessly. :(
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harcourtv57
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Post by harcourtv57 »

Ros, sorry to hear this and hope you get it sorted without too much hassle. We too now do it ourselves as we have had some bad experiences with letting agents. We also no longer take tenants on HB as our local authority has decided that this should be paid to the tenant to pass on to the landlord, instead of to the landlord direct - recipe for rent not being paid!
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