How should we handle tenants’ belongings and mould after eviction?

How should we handle tenants’ belongings and mould after eviction?

0:05 AM, 2nd December 2024, About 18 hours ago 5

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After months of struggle (9 months), including a breathing space moratorium, we have finally managed to evict our tenants for non-payment of rent (Section 8).

However, the flat is still full of their belongings as they didn’t expect to leave, and now they’re threatening to sue us. They claim to be afraid that someone will photograph or steal their possessions and say they’ll seek legal advice to take action after this weekend. They want access to pack up their things themselves, as some items are “sensitive or fragile,” but we are concerned that if we allow them back in, they may barricade themselves inside.

We would like to arrange to have the tenants’ belongings professionally packed up and their possessions removed to a storage facility. The eviction just happened so we haven’t had advice from our solicitor yet as to what we can do. Can anyone advise what you would do in our situation? The tenants are very crafty and can’t be trusted. We were extremely lucky to get them out.

The flat has been left with with lots of damage including black mould and we would like to treat it immediately. Can anyone also please tell  the best products that we should be using to treat the mould problem?

Thank you,

Tamara

Editor’s Note: Please see Julie Ford’s article on what a landlord must do if a tenant leaves possessions behind after eviction here


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Julian Lloyd

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10:26 AM, 2nd December 2024, About 7 hours ago

Speak to your solicitor about the legality of moving possessions. As far as I know you have to look after them for a short time and protect them and give them to the tenant upon their request. DO NOT let them back in the house to move things.
I suggest pulling the positions up in the middle of the rooms. Cover in plastic. Open all the windows and bleach the walls to kill the mould. Neat bleach on a flat mop does a great job.

DPT

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10:38 AM, 2nd December 2024, About 7 hours ago

You are entitled to move their possessions to storage provided care is taken. If you do it yourself, get someone to video it.

TheMaluka

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11:25 AM, 2nd December 2024, About 6 hours ago

Reply to the comment left by Julian Lloyd at 02/12/2024 - 10:26
Regrettably, bleach does not kill the mould, only acid will kill it. I use HG Mould Spray, which is extremely effective - available in most large supermarkets.

K Anon

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11:28 AM, 2nd December 2024, About 6 hours ago

yes there's Tort laws if I recall but I you didn't mention how much stuff there is.

But DO NOT let them back into YOUR home, no reasonable reason or expectation to do that.

Do Not simply dispose or you will be liable. No Win No Fee sols will be queuing up. Take pictures of items.

If there's not too much stuff then pack it into 1 room and tell them you will charge them storage. Set out costs, make it reasonable, be friendly, super lovely in your comms (grit your teeth).

Eviction is not an unexpected surprise event so they did have long enough but its a moot point if you are a LL. You do have a duty to hold onto belongings. I believe the threshold is once storage costs exceed value.

It sounds to me like they are being a bit spiteful and maybe will never come back or just want it all their own way. Don't forget removal people costs to move into storage.
It could come out of deposit but as we all know deposits don't cover.

You won't get your costs back either by the sounds of it but I think your charging to store, say no more than that, at a daily/weekly chargeable rate is acceptable and you can decorate other rooms around.

I do feel your pain, our tenant dumped her crap outside and inside. Had to hold onto her garbage as it was 'valuable' (old curtains) and the council removed the crap outside due to infestation and fire risks, and I got charged for it.

In future set your daily storage costs in the rental agreement.

Good luck, at least you got the property back, it took us 4.5 years to break even from our appalling DSS tenant but this month we finally paid back those costs.

Julian Lloyd

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11:50 AM, 2nd December 2024, About 6 hours ago

Reply to the comment left by TheMaluka at 02/12/2024 - 11:25
The HG stuff is very good.
I’ve found that when tenants leave a place in this state the excess mould is due to the poor way they have used the house and when they go it does not come back. So bleach is a good way to clear that type.
HG is great for bathroom and tiles. I use it in my house.
I must be a terrible parent and a terrible landlord!!!

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