Landlord's (wife's) post

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We are private tenants - I'd say we're good tenants (always pay on time, keep the place clean and tidy, anything that breaks we replace with like for like or better) and our landlord is pretty fair (rent is reasonable, he's always responsive if we do need to contact him, was fine about us moving our rent day by two days etc)
The only thing that is driving me POTTY is that, after nearly two years, we are still receiving his wife's post.
Every other day, a letter comes for her. And not just spammy stuff - it looks official. She's in a professional field and we get correspondence from her governing body. Letters with bank return addresses. Phone bills. We mentioned it to our landlord and he just says sorry. We never get anything for him, just her.

Until now we've been putting it in a big envelope once a month a forwarding it on, but AIBU to just stop that and bin it?? Surely after 21 months you should have updated all addresses?

It's sometimes enough to need more than one big envelope that doesn't fit in a normal letterbox, so I have to go to the post office and have it weighed and pay more.

Why on earth? Surely it would be easier just to cross out the address, scribble in the landlord's address, and repost?

Following on from Lottie's post - how about printing off some labels with "No longer at this address - please re-direct to "

Yes, it's still putting them in the letterbox, but:

a) it's not costing you a stamp and as a PA you may be able to acquire the labels from work and
b) some post isn't allowed to be re-directed, so the important people like DVLA and HMRC that need to know the correct address will be tipped off that she's moved.

(But yes, this would annoy me too!)

Some landlords don't seem to realise the trouble this can cause their tenants. Any tenant on tax credits or benfits could see a shit load of hassle come their way if it seemed that they were actually living with another person.

Also if there's banking things in there I'd be concerned about a mortgage and them not having permission from their lender to let out.

And, just because they put "you must forward all mail to me" in a contract doesn't mean that it's legally binding that you do so forever.

I'd start opening them to see what's going on. As pp have said, she could be using it to do all sorts of dodgy stuff.

We had this, got a big red inkstamp saying not at this address and return it all. They hadn't lived there for years before we even moved in!

just because they put "you must forward all mail to me" in a contract doesn't mean that it's legally binding that you do so forever.

Not forever, just for the duration of the tenancy while you're living in their house . . .

I'd start opening them to see what's going on. As pp have said, she could be using it to do all sorts of dodgy stuff.

Opening the landlord's private correspondence? Sounds like a sure fire way to get kicked out of the property quickly.

I suspect my old landlady was having her mortgage documents sent to my flat. In hindsight I expect if it was really a buy to let mortgage that wouldn't have been happening?

We still get things like this- 3 years after buying our house!! I just shove it all back in the post box now. I guess you don’t want to do that if it might damage the relationship though?

I get where you're coming from Cup. However the old occupant of my present home used our address to obtain finance. If I hadn't opened the letters from the debt collectors when I did, we could have had bailiffs at the door. Then the bastard still used it as his address with the DVLA. I practically chased him up the garden path when he came looking for it.

Not forever, just for the duration of the tenancy while you're living in their house . . .

Just because it's there doesn't make it enforcable. This one is up there with viewings near the end - again, just because it's there doesn't make it any more enforcable than putting in a clause saying they need to make you dinner every Tuesday.

It's taking the piss out of the tenant expecting them to take your mail to the post office and pay for it to be sent on to you for the entire duration of their tenancy. No wonder tenants are so suspicious of ll's (I am a ll before any accuses me of being a shit tenant/ll hater).

Like I said before OP, there’s no need for you to go to the post office and pay for her to get her mail. Duck that. Just post it to her without a stamp on and she’ll have to collect it and pay for it.

Give it a whirl!

Fucking autocorrect. Who says duck that?!

DO NOT PAY and faff around with envelops etc. Mail is to the person not the address so if you write please re-direct to (new address) and stick it back in the post box it will be redelivered there FOR FREE

DP has just confirmed what I thought: a text message asking me to forward post on does not count as a contract (I don't know why you would think it does ) and here's nothing in our tenancy agreement about post so I am not in breech of contract by not sending it on.

I really don't think hope it's anything dodgy, they're really lovely people. I think she's just a bit oblivious.

Sending it on without a stamp is a bit pas ag maybe??

I would probably just text to say "there is post here for your wife. Let us know when you/she will be round to pick it up". It's still polite and friendly

When me and DH were renting we used to get post for our Landlord. He was making out to his mortgage company he lived there as he did not have permission to rent the house out. He also was not declaring it to HMRC.

Is your landlord doing everything by the book? Deposit in a scheme, rent book or receipts etc?

I'd be tempted to throw them in the bin and pretend they haven't arrived. I live in a rented property and I often do this as I can't be arsed with other people's crap they can't be bothered to sort.

@mydogisthebest it's all above board - our deposit is in the DPS, for the few things we've needed fixed he's asked for a VAT receipt, we're in a big building complex operated by a big housing development company and they know we're tenants etc

I've never put a stamp on anything I've redirected. I don't think you have to do you? I just write redirect to xxx on it.

However in your shoes now, I'd just stop letting him know. Wait till you've got a pile then ask him to collect it as "it'll cost a fortune to send that much and you haven't got time to go to the post office to get it weighed to find out exactly how much"

You do not have to pay to forward the letters and she won’t either redirections to the same name are free.

A text is out of context is obviously not a contact and some of the scenarios being imagined on here are wildly implausible, she is probably just lazy.

But as I’ve said you do have to pay to forward post. I’m amazed so many people seem not to know this.

I reckon they don't have a btl mortgage or aren't declaring rent for tax purposes, something along those lines.

It does not affect ops credit rating. That is an ongoing mn stupidity.
Contract to forward landlord post unenforceable.
Just put in box and ignore.

Guessing rental not declared to mortgage company or insurers. You have a very stupid landlady. How are all the other legals?

but changing the addresses with banks etc is not a big deal.

You'd think that wouldn't you? DH spent a couple of years trying to get his bank to update his details. Kept calling them, filling in the same form repeatedly, popping into the branch to talk to them.

I do understand how annoying it is to get mail from previous occupants. We used to get post for the previous three, stuff to do with shares, statements, dodgy gambling schemes, porn catalogue....

You have a good relationship with excellent landlords who have shown they're prepared to be flexible and do you favours in the past.

You've already texted suggesting keeping the Wife's post there and he's said no, could you still post it on please so that's clearly what they expect for the duration of your time living in their property.

They don't need to use that as a reason to give you notice, as long as they give you the required notice period they don't really need to give you a reason. I suggested it was more likely inflexibility and an unwillingness to do them a favour might lead to them becoming less flexible in return and you may regret changing the easy relationship you currently have.

You've said you're looking to buy soon anyway so why not just keep posting the letters on for a few more months, this is such a non problem when you have good landlords.

Duck that made me chuckle