Tenant not paid utility bill and fraudulently altered agreement!

Given what you say it sounds as if you have an undesirable tenant prepared to resort to fraud. Conversely, without knowing her circumstances and what's driven her down this path it would seem she's maintained your rental payments and to date, not abused the property. A midnight flit does seem in the offing with your property reaping the blacklisting rewards.

Installing your own Intelligent buylec sub-meter is a halfway house solution which avoids eviction etc. You then keep the tenant (it seems there’s not a lot to loose), become the utility account holder, the tenant won’t need any new formal account and can be allocated a limited periodic allowance on credit – or just reset to prepay. You remain in control and the supply is paid.

Either way it’s a situation to avoid in future with an automated answer.

Reply to the comment left by "rob david" at "18/04/2016 - 15:14":

Thank you Rob, I've not heard of this type of meter before but I will give it some consideration. My tenant keeps the house clean and tidy but she has been struggling to pay the very reasonable rent and I've been understanding with the arrears that she owes me each January after Christmas. However, I am uncomfortable with the current situation; she has been fraudulent and my sympathy is wearing thin, especially as she will not admit to me what she has done, but has described it as a 'misunderstanding' between herself and the electricity company. My dilemma is that it goes against the grain to add to her troubles, but the bottom line is that I am not a charity and I need the rental income. I certainly do not wish to inherit her debts, but the comments here have set my mind at rest on that issue. Thanks Sue

As far prepayment meters are concerned, I don't believe they devalue your property, because a new owner or a new tenant can demand for a normal meter as long as they have a good clean record, and they can also ask the energy supplier of their choice to install a new meter.

Any debt on prepayment meter is not passed on to a new tenant, as long as you notify the utility company or the tenant does that. They will be sent a new key.

It will be up to them to chase the old tenant and you do not even have to give them forward address as most tenants won't do that any way. Prepayment meters is the only way to deal with irresponsible tenants, who otherwise pile up a lot of debt with utility companies, and move out with no intention of paying any debt. Liberty takers if you ask me.

I had a similar situation with British Gas. A tenant left owing £225 outstanding on a key meter having run up a large bill on a standard meter. New tenants move in almost immediately and so I got in touch with British Gas to clear the account for the new tenants but they said they couldn't do it for 2 weeks. To keep the new tenants happy I cleared the bill and endeavoured to take it up with BG but they made such a meal out of it I gave up. I left the house I was living in a month later and the final gas bill was £200. I then exercised my common law right of set-off and didn't pay the bill. British Gas then registered a default against me on my credit file for £200. Funnily enough it didn't stop me doing any financial transactions I wanted to do including buying a new car on HP or buying furniture on interest free.

I agree with Mike - I have pre-payment meters in all my properties. Not one tenant or prospective tenant has objected, and I never have a problem finding tenants.

I have several times bought a property and then discovered there are arrears on the meter (presumably because the former occupier/tenant ran up a bill on a quarterly meter and then had a pre-payment meter installed). It can take several days to sort this out with the utility supplier - just keep plugging away - they deal with it all the time. And keep a record of who you speak to and when - some are better then others. I have always found British Gas to be good but ymmv.

A pre-payment meter just removes one more potential headache if you get a tenant who struggles to manage their money.

I have a tenant who racked up huge gas and electricity debts debts in his name and then simply changed his name and has done exactly the same thing again.

He's now left owing several thousands pounds in rent.

I wrote to British Gas explaining the situation and received a reply addressed to the tenant at my home address!!!

I called the number but couldn't speak to anyone because they ask for your (ie his) date of birth which I don't know.

Does anyone know if BG have Fraud Department I could contact.

By the way I've notified DWP but you can imagine the response - nothing.

Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 18/04/2016 - 13:05
Thanks for this info. Ian. We have twice discovered on tenants' vacating our property that a prepay meter has been installed without our knowlege or consent We have been told we will have to pay for any change to the payment method and it has indeed put off some prospective tenants. Conversely, others have welcomed it as an aid to budgeting.