Tenants “blackmail” me to lie to council?

As I understand it in order to get a Council place tenants can't be 'voluntarily homeless' and this means that you have go to the bailiff stage. I would do this asap and ignore anything the tenants say. The Council is obliged to rehome them whatever their arrears are, but in any case I doubt they will ask you for a reference and if they do you can refuse to give it, as above. The Council will know anyway, owing to the Possession order and the subsequent lack of credit rating the tenants now have.

Yes, send in the bailiffs (unless tenant settles rent arrears PDQ AND apologises for the hassle).
Regarding a reference, I would say "simply tell the truth".
As a landlord, how happy would you be to get conned by the absence of a fair picture?
Indeed, maybe the only reason you took them in the first place was the withholding of what would have been an unsatisfactory reference?
So, PLEASE don't help to inflict them on others!

But it beats me why you used S21 rather than S8.

P.S. Reminds me of a supposed comment in a school report used in a comedy sketch: "Should go far - and the sooner the better!"

Don’t lie.
Instruct bailiffs and get them out as they are buying time. You’ve already said no mention of how they are going to pay the arrears and likely to have to chase payment.
This is where the RPS system needs to be update. Rouge tenants need to be exposed.
Good luck

Reply to the comment left by Ron H-W at 24/01/2022 - 11:50
Apologies from liars aren't worth much. Even if they paid the arrears, not evicting them when you are able with bailiffs just re-sets the whole drama to happen again.

I've just gone through a lengthy and painful eviction (S.8). I know I won't get any of the 16 months' arrears, but did manage to get his deposit paid to me in full by DPS. It's not much; it didn't even cover the flat clearance, let alone cleaning and redecoration, but it was something! If asked, I will provide a damning reference.

Bailiffs without a doubt. If council or anyone asks for a reference say no. Same as giving/not giving employee reference if you say no that says it all. If you give one, either bad or good it could go all wrong.
And if you give a false reference that will be another thing they could blackmail you with sooner or later.
Bailiffs and no reference end of!

Bailiffs without a doubt. If council or anyone asks for a reference say no. Same as giving/not giving an employee reference if you say no then that says it all. If you do give one, either bad or good and how you write it and what you say it could go all wrong.
And if you give a false reference that will be another thing they could blackmail you with sooner or later.
Bailiffs and no reference end of!

I had a case once where a tenant and his family wanted to get a council house as they had outgrown my 2 bed flat after 8 years. They asked me to evict them and they would pay costs. I did this all the way thru and inc bailiffs and they honoured it all and were fully up to date rent wise aswell. If they had arrears the council would not rehouse them. I did get a call from the council to see if I could keep them but told them simply that I wanted the flat back for a relative. If I had told the whole truth they would still be there I imagine and it worked for both me and the tenants. Judge if you will as we gamed the system but the council give advice to tenants to await a bailiff notice before they will act and the tenant has to show this to the council. If the high court is involved(no notice given) it is even worse for the tenant as the council give incorrect advice.
Terrible system for all.

Reply to the comment left by geester24 at 24/01/2022 - 13:06
I think you will find High Court Bailiffs do now have to give notice. From vague memory it's two weeks, but don't rely on my memory!

To use the text equivalent of shouting - TALK TO THE COUNCIL.
Previous comments are correct that councils won't house if someone has become voluntarily homeless so you have to follow it through or they won't leave.
Your tenants are trying to dictate to you what to do, and they are in arrears and have made no move to discuss paying it back - they literally don't care about you.
I've have experienced this sort of thing a few times.
Councils don't have anywhere near the housing stock they need and when they are obligated to house someone it can mean that they have to look to the private rental sector. As a private landlord I, like most of us here wouldn't consider a sub prime tenant if a better option was available.
With 2 separate councils I have received discretionary payments to clear rent arrears from tenants of mine that were going through the eviction process. This I believe was because I made it quite clear to the councils that my process would include taking the tenants to court for the rent arrears and issuing CCJs if applicable.
With a CCJ on file that tenant is very much the councils issue for the next 6 years.
With my tenants one payment was simply to clear the rent arrears so I wouldn't take her to court ( it did help that she had 5 children and the council in question literally didn't have a house big enough for her).
She left at the eleventh hour and is no longer my problem.
The second ones are a young family and they are decent and have just had circumstances conspire against them. So I spent a lot of time with them and talking to the council in question. I again made it clear to the council my process. I allowed them to go 3 months in arrears as I believed they were trying. The council made a payment of 6 weeks rent and they then cleared the rest over the following year.
Councils will try and not take people on unless they absolutely have to, but and this is the crucial point when faced with a professional and a clear cut process they will work with you.
In this instance the housing office at the council are your friends not your tenants.