Can I move into my HMO?

Can I move into my HMO?

9:44 AM, 8th March 2022, About 3 years ago 11

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Hi, I would appreciate some input on this idea. I have a 4 bed unlicensed HMO (does not require a licence). Cutting a long story short, I am getting to retirement age, so I decided to sell up.

I gave all tenants (all on statutory periodic) due notice. All have left, apart from one tenant who says he will not move or pay rent till he is evicted (thank you shelter). So I am left with a 4 bed HMO with one tenant.

To be honest, this is the tenant who made me decide that this property would be the first to go. I’m sure you all know the sort. Heating break down and because it takes 5 days to get a gas engineer, order parts and return to fit the boiler I am the worst landlord in the world.

He’s reported me to the council for having an unfit house (council investigated, and only comment was the fire blanket in the kitchen was missing).

He is the first to complain, but in actuality, it was him the other tenants were constantly complaining about and indeed made a police complaint as they said he was intimidating him.

He has his girlfriend around constantly and when I spoke to her to ask if she was living there he went ballistic and said I was disrespecting him.

Etc etc etc….to be fair apart from some arrears from covid period he does pay the rent albeit late

But I now fear that he won’t leave till he’s evicted, I have no income as the house is empty, and I don’t want to start getting new tenants, and I am going to be stuck paying all the bills just for him.

So help me out here….can I move in,…..I’m happy to live there for a few months if it’s legal……and if I do move in what is his status? Does he become a lodger? Is it legal?

Any other ideas? Or can anyone recommend a reasonable but tough solicitor……

I’ve been a landlord for 22 years and this is my first eviction battle.

Many thanks

Paul

 


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Judith Wordsworth

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10:07 AM, 12th March 2022, About 3 years ago

Are you going to sell it as an HMO? They local Council may be happy to buy it from you at market price with him in situ so they can house Afgan or Ukrainian refugees.
Worth asking the council. I sold one of my flats to the local council. Most councils have money set aside for going exactly this.

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