Can British Gas break in to a property?

[MerryMarigold]

We have rental property but not experienced landlords. Tenants moved out on 2nd Sept. We've been cleaning and doing it up a bit but it's empty. DH went in this evening after work and there was a letter on the stairs! The bills had not been paid and it's been changed to a meter by a court order. It's just so odd. How did they get in?

They would have obtained an Entry Warrant from the local Magistrates Court, which allows them to gain entry.
This process is normally preceded by numerous attempts of contact (letters) and also a letter staining their intention to apply to the courts for an Entry Warrant, a court asks to see that the process has been followed in full and makes a decision based in the information it has in front of it.
A warrant is usually a final point of call for an energy company, so it may be that your previous Tenants have failed to pay regularly or not paid enough for quite a period of time.

I'm not sure where you would stand in relation to forwarding the information/responsibility to the Tenants (as they haven't paid) or whether you now become liable as the property owners, when I hought NY property my previous owners left a lot of debt and NPower chased them for it, not use, but I'm not sure how it works if it has got to a warrant and with a rental.

It might be worth contacting British Gas to see the amount, explain the situation etc, and then obtain legal advice as to whether you can pursue a civil claim against the Tenants should you become liable
.
I'm sorry that they have put you in this position, and hope you manage to get it sorted.

Thank you. The letter seemed to say we were not liable bit even with permission to enter I'm not sure how they actually entered without a key and no one in the house!

Is there marks of force on any doors/windows or does your previous Tenants still hold any keys? I would contact them asking, I'm just thinking if there is somewhere unsecured that you might not have realised, I'd be tempted to look at changing locks too, just in case your previous tenants do still have keys.

Is the gas meter external?

Gas meter is basement

Keys apparently all returned, but adult child of tenant is still in area.

No signs of forced entry. We didn't use chubb lock as there's nothing in there at the moment so maybe not that hard to open with a credit card if you know how to do it (I've never managed, I've tried when I got locked out ).

DH sent picture of letter to adult child of tenant to see if she knows anything. Not heard anything. There is another child not too far away but we don't have her contact. The tenant has moved a long way away.

They will have had a locksmith out to gain entry that way. It's not uncommon.

call them and ask?

I used to do this job for British Gas. We used a locksmith always.

Agree with the locksmith comments.

They got a locksmith to do it. It's really easy when you know how. Watching a locksmith break into my house for me made me completely paranoid. We now have several locks and double-lock everything!

Yes.

Ah, ok. Thanks! DH didn't ask British gas as he was busy trying to figure out what was going on!

Yep they can break in. It happened when I was growing up and my dad stopped paying maintenance. What an arse he was.

Wow, it's really odd. We didn't have problems with rent. Seemed fairly solvent, buying lots of stuff etc.

It’s amazing what people prioritise. Will this be an issue with you getting new tenants though? Personally I wouldn’t rent somewhere with a meter as it costs so much more.

I'm not sure whether it can be changed back quickly.

I mean, I know you can change it back to non meter, but just not sure how soon that can happen for the new tenants. Luckily vee haven't got engine yet so it won't be a nasty surprise.