A bit of a mystery – tenant still paying rent has moved out?

A bit of a mystery – tenant still paying rent has moved out?

9:47 AM, 17th June 2024, About 6 months ago 18

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I have discovered that, although my tenants are still paying their rent to me in full, they moved out of the house some weeks ago and are now living in a chalet in a nearby holiday park.

They have been my tenants for the last six years, and apart from the fact that they lived in total squalor, there have been no problems. A couple of months ago, a neighbour phoned to tell me that all the furniture from the house, including mouldy mattresses, was being taken away and wondered if the tenants were leaving.

I phoned the tenant who said that they were scrapping their furniture, and having new so I thought no more of it. However, when I did a recent routine inspection the tenant met me in an empty house. She said that they had moved out so that she could give it a good clean. She planned to get someone in to redecorate and there were tins of paint and a couple of rolls of carpet in the kitchen.

When asked how she could afford to pay rent on two places at once (she and her adult son who lives with her are in very low-paid jobs) she couldn’t give a satisfactory answer, other than to say that they had been saving up.

However, apart from a few kitchen tiles having been cleaned, there was no other evidence that any cleaning or other work had been done in the house since they left, and the house was still absolutely filthy. She said that she had the next week off work and was going to get the cleaning done then. When I got home I looked at the notes I’d made on the last couple of property inspections and found that she’d said the same things both times and that I’d noted the presence of the tins of paint and rolls of carpet a year ago.

This all seems very odd, and I’m sure I’m missing something here, but I have no idea what it is. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

My son says that maybe they are using the house for some illegal purposes, but it’s difficult to know what they could be doing in a house with no furniture. Also, the tenant said that I can go in and check anytime without asking her, using my own key (which I won’t do – not sure it’s legal) so I guess she has nothing to hide.

Apart from the mystery of it all, I’m wondering about using Section 21 while I can to end the tenancy. I can’t ask them to leave as they’ve already left (though she says they plan to move back in). The house was immaculate when they took the tenancy and, although there doesn’t seem to be any actual damage. I fear that the kitchen and bathroom have gone beyond just needing a clean and may need to be replaced, but I am reluctant to do so when I know that they will be in the same state again before long if they move back in.

Any repairs are up to date (although my trusted plumber refuses to go back if their toilet needs repair again, as it made him gag). The house may need fumigating too, and definitely needs a total deep clean, redecorating and re-carpeting.

Would it be the best time, if I want them to move on, to do it now, before they go back to the house?

Any ideas or advice would be gratefully received.

Tricia


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Cathie

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20:54 PM, 17th June 2024, About 6 months ago

Are they paying the rent with housing benefits? If so, it can be claimed back from you if they show they are living elsewhere.

Ask them for the keys and deed of surrender?

Tim Gray

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7:38 AM, 22nd June 2024, About 6 months ago

Interesting to read the above comments. I had a similar situation a few years ago when the tenant had left the property in a clean condition but was living in another property and paying my rent to my letting agent. I only got to know the tenant had left when the council chased me for council tax because they said the property was empty. I initially said they were wrong but they sent an official around who climbed over the back fence to confirm it was empty. My letting agent would not go and enter the property so having spoken to me eviction expert he said go and enter the property because the only people who are going to take action against you are the council and they had already confirmed to me that the tenant was living elsewhere. My letting agent confirmed to me the tenant was renting other properties in the area and not living in them. 12 months earlier tenant had used an email address very similar to mine and sent it to the letting purporting to come from me requesting I issue a Section 21. It transpires that the tenant had been convicted of fraud a few years prior to this and it would seem they were doing the same again. I have never understood how she was doing this so I would be interested in hearing of anyone’s ideas.

Jonathan Willis

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7:50 AM, 22nd June 2024, About 6 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Tim Gray at 22/06/2024 - 07:38
From a technical point of view it's easy to fake an email address. There are some simple steps you can take on the email server to detect and prevent it. The alternative is to create a similar email with just a 1 character difference.

As to why they would do it, and ask for a s21 Vs giving their own notice I'm not sure. They won't get council help if you only give them an s21 they would need a baliff eviction which isn't going to happen from a fake email address.

GlanACC

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8:56 AM, 22nd June 2024, About 6 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Judith Wordsworth at 17/06/2024 - 20:26
Agreed, to put it simply if the tenant has not surrendered the property and is still paying the rent, they are still a tenant.

I would serve an S21 though.

Alison Clark

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9:55 AM, 22nd June 2024, About 6 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Adrian Jones at 17/06/2024 - 11:43
Hi Adrian, I too have made a reminder for this. What effect does it have please with regards informing insurance the property is empty?

Judith Wordsworth

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10:03 AM, 22nd June 2024, About 6 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Alison Clark at 22/06/2024 - 09:55
Read your policy docs.

Usually only need to notify when the property has been empty for 30 consecutive days.
Heating on constant October to April at 12-14C, property checked every 2 weeks/sometimes weekly. Policy will tell you

Alison Clark

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10:18 AM, 22nd June 2024, About 6 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Judith Wordsworth at 22/06/2024 - 10:03
Thank you.

Paul Tarry

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10:19 AM, 25th June 2024, About 6 months ago

Having dealt with people over the years who do/did strange things and lived in abnormal ways its an illness, not an illness like a boil or a cold and not a mental illness that stops you working or behaving normally within society
The person telling you she is going to clean and redecorate is not telling a lie, she 100% believes this, it to her is 100% true and when it doesn't happen there will be a lot of reasons to justify why is doesn't happen.
Hoarding, squalor, 100 abandoned projects, 100 interests or hobbies are all from the same cause, but rest assured the comments she/they make are in there mind 100% true and accurate and when proven to be wrong they will get angry or sulk and refuse to engage.
She probably is not doing anything illegal its just her way of dealing with the issue, it may also be she is getting help from the council or a charity that specialises in this so they are attempting to reset back to zero.

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