Tenant always pays on time. Should I issue a warning?

Tenant always pays on time. Should I issue a warning?

9:12 AM, 4th November 2024, About 2 weeks ago 22

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Hello, I have a tenant who always pays on time and respects the property. One of his neighbours has been known to be a little standoffish on occasion, but my tenant has now twice responded to the neighbour by shouting back when she argues with him. Last time he told her that if she doesn’t like where he stores his bike, she ought to call up the council.

To be fair, he left his bike in the correct place and the neighbour wouldn’t call the council because the neighbour literally has her scooter in a similar area (they are both technically breaking the rules but there’s really nowhere else safe for them to leave them. None of the neighbours care. It’s out of the way anyway.

She just wanted the best spot for herself, but to do so would mean his bigger bike would overhang walkway of everyone else and he says that’s bad, so he has to use the bigger space so neither of their vehicles are in anyone’s way). Long story short, he was in the right last time. Anyway, the neighbour downstairs has again had a verbal disagreement with him and she’s got my number, so she called me again.

My wife says we should take sides with the neighbour and issue our tenant a warning ⚠️ tell him he needs to not shout back when confronted. But I personally think “he’s always paid us on time and he looks after the property really well. He’s a good tenant to us. I’m not taking sides against my own tenant. If the neighbour doesn’t like him shouting, she shouldn’t start arguments with him”

What would you do? Should we issue him a warning and tell him we think he’s in the wrong? Or should we let these adults live their own life and be responsible for themselves?

Thank you,

Marcus


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Comments

John Gelmini

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15:18 PM, 4th November 2024, About 2 weeks ago

Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 04/11/2024 - 09:17
Your tenant is paying you money on time whereas the neighbour is paying nothing.
As long as the shouting is occasional and not excessive leave well alone.
It only becomes an issue if the neighbour becomes troublesome and goes to the council or the police as some people with nothing better to do are inclined to do as a consequence of being jealous of you as a landlord.

Paddy O'Dawes

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15:43 PM, 4th November 2024, About 2 weeks ago

Sounds like a problem neighbour rather than a problem tenant. You allude to general issues with this individual in the past by noting "stand offish" behaviour. If said individual likes to call constantly over nothing then that amounts to harassment. I was involved in something similar not long ago with a neighbour who complained about nothing, parked poorly purposely to inconvenience and then pointed a camera at the door. A phone call and a visit from the police explaining what harassment is and the legalities of parking and camera appear to have settled things down. LL is over the moon as they haven't got a persistent nuisance caller anymore.

Mike

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16:18 PM, 4th November 2024, About 2 weeks ago

AST should state which area each tenant can use, other than that don't get involved and simply say to the lady that unfortunately you cannot get involved in such disputes that has nothing to do with your tenancy terms and conditions or your tenant , she should seek legal advice.

Julian Lloyd

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17:10 PM, 4th November 2024, About 2 weeks ago

Don’t get involved. You’re not a social worker.

GlanACC

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17:46 PM, 4th November 2024, About 2 weeks ago

I don't know what the property is but if there is a communal area then it is likely the landlord will be responsible for setting the rules for his tenants.

Rebekah Barnes

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19:12 PM, 4th November 2024, About 2 weeks ago

You have a good tenant who pays rent on time and a neighbor who's clearly a problem. Why on earth would you side with the neighbor who is the one causing grief. You should be telling the neighbor to leave him alone and stop causing problems. You're gonna end up losing a good tenant and then the next one will most likely have the same problems.

I'm renting right now and my neighbors are the ones causing problems. Creating loads of anti social noise at 4am. Using fireworks that bounce off my side. Leaving litter etc. my tenancy agreement says I can't cause a disturbance so I've had to put up with it but it's unfair. Do the right thing and stick by your tenant
.

Bec Broxson

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7:36 AM, 5th November 2024, About 2 weeks ago

Why would this even warrant a warning other than label you a landlord who is going to stick with neighbours right or wrong and not have the best interests of their tenant in mind. You know he's right. Why not just have a friendly chat and advise him maybe not to shout at her, to stay calm and smile it will rile her up more anyway, then tell the neighbour that your tenant isn't doing any wrong and that you stand by him and that of she wants to get council involved she can but that would affect both of them and perhaps she should use her common sense and get on.You don't even have grounds for a warning here and if it was ever used in court it wouldn't stand.

Kizzie

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9:38 AM, 5th November 2024, About 2 weeks ago

To Bec
Tenants have an inalienable legal right to Peace and Enjoyment to their premises under Human Rights Act underwritten in their Lease or Rental Agreement.
As raised already the area where bikes are placed is in the Common Area and the landlord has a legal obligation to deal with this situation
The landlord doesn’t want the hassle of the tenant to claim discrimination or harassment.
The situation also suggests the lack of a formal complaints and grievances procedure inthe lease /rent agreement.

Phil rosenberg

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7:00 AM, 8th November 2024, About 2 weeks ago

If your wife is insistent, perhaps consider a divorce.
Your tenant has a legal right to quiet enjoyment of the property. This means you should not pester them about things that are none of your business
Also if you share the complaint with the tenant without written consent from the neighbour you are at risk of breaching data privacy laws.
I tend to think, if this was something to do with the gas supply rather than the house, would the gas company get involved. If the answer is no, then stay out of it.
Neighbours seem to want to act like you are the tenant's mum. You are not. If you feel a strong urge to bow to the neighbour's pressure and get involved in parts of the neighbour's life that you don't belong, then either you are stuffing over someone else to give yourself an easy life or you have a general tendency towards wanting to control others. Hence my first sentence.
I suggest you tell the neighbour that as far as you are aware there was no breach of the tenant's contract, and that if you pester the tenant when they haven't breached their contract it could be considered harassment. Encourage the neighbour to deal with it themself.

Kizzie

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10:29 AM, 8th November 2024, About 2 weeks ago

Well Marcus you’ve had the gamut of advice.
The pp advised not get involved but then said tell the offending tenant there is no breach of contract.
If you wait to see what happens then the situation may worsen and either or both tenants takes their grievances further or the ‘good’ tenant may leave.
You are the LL and presumably the freeholder so it’s your property and your income and your issue

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