Should a report a tenant. If so who to?

[Deliciousandnutrious]

I have a house rented house to 2 lodgers. One has been there 10 years plus (tenant 1) and the other 4 (tenant 2). The newer lodger has moved in is a ‘girlfriend’. He is paying 1/2 rent for her. Money is not the concern.

The tenant 1 has been to say she is concerned about the ‘girlfriend’. Girlfriend is the same nationality as the existing 2 tenants. The existing 2 tenants have stable employees. The new woman is not working and all her money comes from the ‘boyfriend’, according to tenancy 1. She seems very naive. They have a lot of noisy sex and argue a good bit.

What raised my concern was that he demands that she dresses up in what was called burlesque to serve dinner. Girlfriend has to serve dinner and if she makes a mistake she gets sent to bed.

Any thoughts?

Do you have concerns she has been trafficked or is being abused? If so you can report to the police. If she hasn't been trafficked there might not be much you can do about the abuse unless she or your other tenant is willing to speak up to police. Or can you tell him the girlfriend can't stay anymore? At least then she wouldn't under his control as much. What does the tenancy agreement say about lodgers having guests or moving other tenants in?

Thank you @Crinkle77. I was finding it difficult to articulate what was concerning me.

Lodger 2 did ask if she could move in and came up with the option of 1/2 rent for her as they were sharing a room. Other bills are shared 3 ways.

I don’t think I could throw ‘girlfriend’ out. She speaks very little English, doesn’t work and doesn’t seem to know anyone in the UK.

I will think about the police.

A bit of me wonders if lodger 1 is a bit jealous.

If I were lodger 1 I wouldn’t really want to be in that situation, noisy sex is awful to have to listen too as well as arguments, never mind the dressing up. I’m curious as to what you think she might be jealous of as it sounds an unpleasant environment to live in. She’s been there for 10 years and presumably a good tenant so I’d be inclined to support her. If you suspect the new girlfriend is trafficked then of course go to the police.

@tipsyraven Those are good points. I really like tenant 1 and she has been great over the years. I think she seems the rented house as her own and I have heard tenant 2 complain she is bossy. I don’t think she likes having another person in the house especially a woman.

Not really sure what I am looking for concerning trafficking. It does sound a really uncomfortable atmosphere there.

It does seem a little odd. Is she here legally? What is she doing for money if she speaks little English and has no job. Or is this how she's paying her way by doing a burlesque act. I mean what people get up to in them privacy of their own home is up to them. Could you have a chat with tenant 2?

Conversation with tenant 2 to say that the arrangement isn’t working.
No need to say why.

So essentially Tenant 1 is uncomfortable with the girlfriend being in the house?

Presumably the girlfriend isn’t on her partner’s tenancy agreement so she isn’t an official tenant. I agree with the previous poster that you need to have a word with Tenant 2 as Tenant 1 has the right to feel comfortable in her home. They can’t make her feel uncomfortable with their rows and noisy sex.

@Crinkle77 ‘girlfriend’ isn’t a burlesque dancer, she is just being asked to dress like that to serve dinner to lodger 2.

@MargotTenenbaumscoat and @BruFord I think I do need to talk to lodger 2. At the very least he is responsible for changing the atmosphere for the worse. It is all baffling.

Perhaps that is their relationship and I should leave them be in their own home perhaps ‘girlfriend’ is not able to make good decisions as she is very vulnerable.

Youve allowed your tenant to sublet?

Surely as a landlord you have a legal duty to check that any tenant has the right to be in the UK.

As they are from another country this would normally mean checking visas.
The boyfriend has sneakily circumvented this requirement by bringing gf in as his sub tenant.
The whole thing sounds well dodgy.
You need to act.

@OrangePineapple25 I gave permission for girlfriend to move in under the conditions stated. Half rent and equally shared costs.

I don’t understand why you did that. You are still getting the same income from 3 people that you previously got from 2, but have extra wear and tear and you upset tenant 1 in the process.
It doesn’t sound a great situation, but I’m not sure that there is anything to report.

What checks did you do on the gf as a tenant? If you are legally including her on the tenancy what rights to reside checks did you do?

@alexdgr8 Thanks so much. You are correct I have checked tenant 2 but not girlfriend. In fact now you mention it he originally said she was here for a visit but he wanted to do the right thing by paying rent.
I do need to check.

You might have created an unlicensed HMO too, depending on your local licensing..

@BaronessEllarawrosaurus and @ClarasZoo all good points. I have not thought it through letting ‘girlfriend’ move in. Action needed.
Thank.

If it’s been a few weeks already, you have the perfect excuse to say that you’d like to discuss the situation with them. I’d consider a visit to be a couple of weeks perhaps, this sounds like it’s turning into an extended stay.

@BruFord Yes that is exactly it. ‘Girlfriend’ came for a visit a few times. They are both currently in their home country.
When she has stayed tenant 2 has offered 1/2 rent and equally split bills. This was with permission. ‘Girlfriend’ does not have a contract she is visiting.

However I need to arrange to go and see them and check what is going on.

Report to your local Safeguarding Team at the local Authority.

@StMarie4me I think I will wait until after my visit. There is not necessarily anything wrong with serving dinner dressed in burlesque or being supported financially.
If I am concerned glad to know where to report it to. That was my original question.