Tenant moved out and let cousin move in without telling us!

Tenant moved out and let cousin move in without telling us!

9:33 AM, 16th August 2023, About A year ago 12

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Hello, I have a tenant with a large family who has rented from me since 2019. This tenant has had a breakdown and suicide attempt and let me know she was going to stay with family an hour away to recuperate leaving her husband (joint tenant) and some of the older kids at home.

The tenant rang to let me know she likes the city she’s in and isn’t coming back, has applied to the council for housing and has already got the kids into local schools for September. Her husband is still living in the rental here with the older kids and will join her as soon as they are housed in the city. She gave a rough notice of 2-4 months to end her tenancy. They have rent arrears of just under £1000 and due to the circumstances, I’ve agreed she can repay at £150 per month.

The tenant has asked for a reference and I’ve provided an honest one detailing the arrears and agreement, and the house conditions – really not good. Visited the property yesterday to hand deliver the reference and a letter detailing the rent arrears agreement and accepting her notice to end the tenancy, to find a random family living in the house, who told me they were a cousin and living there for 4 weeks while their own house was being repaired by their landlord.

Random family mum told me that neither of the tenants is living in the house, both in the city with all the kids, and they have taken their personal belongings including all the photographs off the walls with them and don’t plan to return to the house except to collect the rest of the furniture. Random family have nowhere to go and has been told by the tenant they can live in my house until theirs is sorted!

Just to make everything even more confusing – the tenant’s adult daughter then walks into the house and sees me, saying Dad will be back tomorrow and is living at the house until September and she will be staying until then too. Random cousin is giving me raised eyebrows in a way to let me know that this is all lies.

Ideas on the best way forward please? I’ve prepared Section 21 notice, deed of surrender of tenancy, N215 notice of service and plan to visit at teatime today as apparently Dad will be back. House is an absolute mess and looks like every room needs gutting, not confident I’m going to see the rent arrears either now. UC are paying a good chunk of the rent so it feels wrong knowing that they are not even living there too.

Thanks,

Julie


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Jessie Jones

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12:37 PM, 19th August 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Martin Hicks at 16/08/2023 - 10:24
How would having an agent have avoided this situation?

DPT

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10:59 AM, 21st August 2023, About A year ago

If this is now a periodic tenancy then you need to get the tenant to serve you a valid Notice to Quit, even if its for more than one month. (Look up what makes an NTQ valid). That will end their tenancy and you can then exclude everyone from the property. If you're not experienced in this, you should get some legal help.

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