Council advice to tenants nearing S21 date – Help!

Council advice to tenants nearing S21 date – Help!

9:28 AM, 4th September 2023, About 10 months ago 85

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Hello, our situation we have had a tenant in place at one of our properties for around 5 years – never increased the rent (single mum – two kids – you try not to make people’s lives harder than they need to be) – always done repairs – always acted as a model landlord.

The time has come to sell up (you all know why!) – so we served the necessary docs with a leave date of 15 Sep 23.

Today the tenant has informed me that the council have told her that the tenancy doesn’t end if she refuses to leave – but only ends if a bailiff evicts her. They have told her to stay in the property, and that if she leaves (per the S21 notice) she will be making herself voluntarily homeless and then they won’t help her.

Is this normal? This feels like incorrect and very bad advice for the tenant. The council is effectively forcing us to go through the courts to evict the tenant, adding costs and bunging up the court system, and ensuring that the tenant will get a poor reference. We will be asking for a possession order with costs – so they are also potentially making the tenant worse off!

Is the council’s behaviour in this regard even legal – Thoughts (and rants!) welcome and appreciated!

For info we have been landlords for 16 years – and never had to evict anyone yet – just one S21 10 years ago! BTW my blood is boiling on this one – the council I give £400 per month to in council tax are actively working against me – when I have housed someone for less than market rate for many years!!!

Thanks,

Christopher

Editors Note: You can find Property118s investigation on whether councils are acting illegally when telling tenants to stay put here


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Russell Cartner

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20:01 PM, 1st October 2023, About 10 months ago

Wasn't £462 mixed it up, its £426 with solicitors fees, added to court charge
It's a whole lot more if you have a Court Costs clause in your contract

Clint

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22:26 PM, 1st October 2023, About 10 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Russell Cartner at 01/10/2023 - 20:01
I did not realise that one can have a "Costs Recovery Clause" in the tenancy agreement as I would have thought that the Tenant Fee Ban would preclude this.

Russell Cartner

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22:31 PM, 1st October 2023, About 10 months ago

Look it up you will find you can and should have one

Clint

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23:19 PM, 1st October 2023, About 10 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Russell Cartner at 01/10/2023 - 22:31
Do you have a link to this as it would be useful as I also was wondering if a tenant could be charged for things like call out charges for appointments arranged and the tenant not being available.

I was under the impression that the Tenant Fee Ban prevented a landlord from making such charges.

Russell Cartner

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0:10 AM, 2nd October 2023, About 10 months ago

Just google it

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