Student Let Gone Wrong – Advice Required

Student Let Gone Wrong – Advice Required

9:21 AM, 18th November 2013, About 11 years ago 52

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I have a foreign student and his partner who started living in my property in September. He is a student at the local university and is repeating his first year, for which he attended a different university in a different part of the country.

I made all the necessary checks before admitting him as a tenant and everything was going fine until last week. He said that his previous university had not transferred the fees to his present university and the present university in unwilling to take him on, and his visa is going to be cancelled. He said they have agreed to take him on as a student from September 2014. As a result of this, he is now saying that he will be going back to his country (Saudi Arabia) but will be returning to the UK in summer next year. He also said he will leave some of his belonging in the property and that he has a cousin in the UK who will make sure I get the usual rent in full every month, until he returns in the summer next year. Student Let Gone Wrong - Advice Required

I have never come across this situation and was wondering if any of you have? What things would I need to clarify with him before he and his partner leave the country?

Finally, I do have a short term 12 month tenancy agreement with him. Do you think it is just best to terminate the agreement and let the property out to someone else?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Manjinder


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Comments

Mark Hulbert

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22:58 PM, 29th November 2013, About 11 years ago

I think you should accept to be bound by the tenancy agreement you've signed, so long as the rent is paid. The moment there are rent arrears, serve a Section 8 notice and start advertising the property. Ensure your Section 8 notice is absolutely correctly completed, so when you get to court (and the tenant will not turn up so will not be able to plead any exceptional circumstances) you will get possession for sure.
The only question in my mind is: if a new tenant turns up before the Court Order appears, do you sign them up and let the property to them? If I were sure the existing tenant is abroad then the answer for me is "Yes"; if you're really keen to stick to the letter of the law and prepared to leave your property empty, rent-free and Council Tax liable, then the answer is "No".
If, when your tenant has vacated, there is anyone left in the property, you can't just throw them out - check out their credit worthiness and if suitable ask them to sign a tenancy agreement in their name; if they decline, wait until they are out of the house and then move in and change the locks. If they try to break back in they are committing an offence, and the local police will support you.
Keep low level heating on in an empty property so that there will be no water disasters, and the insurance cover problem will not become an issue.
You never know - you might get monthly rent, with no tenants so no wear and tear. More likely you will have to do the above.

Simone Gilks (Mortgage Adviser)

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18:56 PM, 11th December 2013, About 11 years ago

Evening

whilst I have already expressed my opinion I cant help notice the comments regarding legalities of the Student.

Having hosted language students for over 20 years, most of which were from the Arab states and having grown up in Dubai, I can say that they are normally most honourable and is such why they refer to their cousins or family in occupying the property or paying the rent.

In their culture it would be presumed that one man would always help another, contracts and legality aside, which is why they would not even understand your concerns.

Student Visas are the norm in Cambridge and we are quite used to this situation, so whilst I may defend their actions to a certain degree and I do sympathise with you.

I can say that what ever you do, he really just wont grasp the problem and I doubt very much he would even go to court to argue the fact.

I wish you the best of luck

Simone Gilks

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