A follow up on the grubby tenants thread...new tenant has an "undisclosed infant"!

[breakthepattern]

For those who joined my previous thread about cleaning after grubby tenants left... more news!

Never a dull moment.

My new tenant is in and I've just popped by while she's at work (with her agreement of course) to drop off some things I'd promised her.
And I can see she has a child living with her. A toddler. They must be sharing the one double bed.

It doesn't matter to me in the slightest that she has a little one, I have no problem with it, or where they both sleep, at all.

Except for the fact that she didn't tell me. I feel a bit odd about it!

Aibu to be a bit puzzled that she didn't think to mention it?

I wonder if she thought I might not take them on if I knew, although I can't imagine why.

I'm tempted to text her and say what I've dropped off, and then a breezy "ah and I see you have a little one! You didn't mention her? She's very welcome. Let me know if you need anything in particular for her." (It's fully furnished)

Or is it all just none of my business?!

@HarrysOwl I know, I've been thinking the same. I was clearly having a mad cow moment.
We talked about her never having lived out of her parents house, and looking forward to having her own space, and the focus was so much on that (and she's young) that it just sort of never raised in my head as it seemed so self explanatory that it was a young single girl.
Ridiculous writing it.

I can be a bit crap in situations like that as I get a bit of social anxiety. DH has previously always taken care of this stuff for that exact reason. Our circumstances have changed recently and whilst I hate doing it, I've had to take it on.

And no, I've never used a form of that sort, which clearly I should!

Definitely going via agents from now on.

Just another shitty thing done by some shitty landlords to remind tenants who's in charge

Whaaaa.

If you have permission, it's perfectly reasonable to enter.

I offer my tenants an inspection date/time with 2 weeks' notice, and if my date/time suggestion is inconvenient then they can reply with an alternative. It's what best suits them.

A recent reply from a tenant: Hi HarrysOwl, thanks for your letter about the inspection, yes that's fine, I'll be at work but let yourself in. There's a loose tile I've noticed in the kitchen, but no rush to fix. Biscuit tin currently scaffolding it up. :) Thanks very much."

So I'll go in, check no more repairs are needed, and fix the tile. tenant is happy and repair is fixed. What's immoral about that?!

Definitely going via agents from now on.

Noooooooooo! Don't! Agents are shit. They take your money and mess everything up. They treat tenants like shit, I hate the charges they pass on to tenants and they never pass on when a tenant has an issue, do you end up not knowing when there's a problem and your tenant will think you're a bad LL.

You're obviously a caring LL and so already you're half way there. All you need is a couple of things.

Join the National Landlord Association, (free) and use their tenant checks (only £30ish) in the future. And I can send you a form I use, honestly it weedles out the timewasters.

By the time my tenants move in, I know them as best I can; you just can't go off whether they seem nice or not.

I'm anxious too, but you have to put your LL hat on!

Have you secured your tenant deposit with the DPS? And bought LL insurance?

She could turn out to be a lovely tenant. With a child, she will probably prioritise having a roof over their heads above all else, so it's likely your rent will be paid promptly.
I'd just leave them be now and don't impose any further.

And I feel she should take possession with everything working, you know?

I know, how utterly dreadful of you to replace light bulbs, take new cushions and curtains - and all at a time that suited her. Dreadful of you. Honestly. I have NO idea WHAT you were thinking?!

🙄
🤣😂🤣😂

Some posters are crackers - best ignored.

I personally wouldn’t use an Agent. Most of them are worse than useless & cause so many problems & bad feelings.

I’d just brush up on what you should check, what you need to provide & do etc and keep managing it yourself. You’ll have a better relationship with your tenants, you can see the property when you do inspections and any maintenance/repairs won’t incur the agency fee on top.

Maybe your tenant was nervous too as it’s the first time she’s left home & as she is paying for the property didn’t think to mention the child as you didn’t ask.

I would keep a very close eye on the rent and I would do a check quite soon (say 3 months) to see if it’s being looked after. Then at 6 months and if it seems like she’s looking after the place I’d leave it another 6 months. There’s a fine balance between leaving tenants alone to enjoy their home and running the risk of real damage if they’re not. Personally I think you get a feeling for it pretty quickly.

Have you told her what you’re happy with her doing and what you wouldn’t be happy with her doing? (Like hanging things on the walls, decorating etc). It’s best to be really clear up front, for both your sakes. She knows what she can do to make it feel like hers (and what isn’t allowed too!).

Legally a toddler and an adult in a one bed could be considered overcrowded depending on age of child, room size. You should check that OP in case it makes you liable england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/check_if_your_home_is_overcrowded_by_law

and don't impose any further.

She hasn’t imposed at all. She’s done what she agreed to do, at a time that suited her tenant. That’s as far from imposing as you can get!

I would check that you’re ok legally tbh!

I’m not sure but I imagine it could also throw issues up with your insurance especially if it’s only a one bed (obviously it shouldn’t and it’s completely unreasonable, but these things happen)

I would be a little concerned that she deliberately hid the fact the DC was also living there. I cannot honestly fathom how she wouldn’t have thought to mention it.
When I’ve rented we always had to say how many (with names, DOB, etc) were to be living in the property.

It just seems a little shady.

Could be that she didn't mention the child because putting down that she had a dependant had resulting in her failing credit/affordability checks with other landlords/lettings agents.

One of my neighbours by my old flat was made homeless due to having a child, apparently - the contract she and her husband had wasn't renewed and an eviction notice issued the moment the agents realised she'd had a baby on the six monthly inspection. Obviously, I was only told her version of events, but she didn't need to come up with a story to explain why she was in council housing, as I certainly didn't care how she was accepted onto the list.

@TheHatofDoom
There are two adults and two children living next door to me in a one bed flat and I was told by 100 posters that it was perfectly legal.

All the experiences of the last week have made me realise we've got off so lightly the last ten years, and in future (and now with our own busy family with small DC) we'll definitely go through an agent next time.

Really?, swap one problem for another and get charged for it?. No thanks here been ruuning on my own for some 15 years now. Just use the female instinct you have to judge your tenants!.

They don't think they trash things. They KNOW they trash things.
Sweeping generalisation there.

My child has never trashed anything.

I know plenty of kids who don’t.

I also know plenty of adults who trash things and plenty who don’t.

HarrysOwl - some people use agents - not me, got burnt - because they don't have time, distance etc to travel to their property to keep on top of them.

The not having agents works if you're prepared to be a landlord/lady and check up on tenants either like a hawk, let things slide or do something inbetween. Prime example - one tenant my stepdad let to was from Middle East (this is relevant) - stepdad turned up from London area to south coast where flat was to find that tenant had piled all furniture (it was/is a furnished flat) into the common parts (communal hall) and placed cushions etc in the main living area, cultural to do that apparently preferred sitting on cushions. Stepdad told him to either store furniture elsewhere or put back in flat.

Echo checking your insurance. One of mine says two working people only. Weird.

I've spoken to a LL who doesn't of course use an agent, who visits every month (with permission) and has a team of what can be described as "tough men" to get tenants out if they delayed rent for longer than a week. I think those of us who feed the estate agents and provide jobs for them, and who are made to observe H&S by a third party such as an agent, are, in comparison, pure samaritans. I might forget about annual gas and electricity check, but thankfully an agent will not, and that would make my place safer for others. Same goes for the agent's check after tenant moves out, i.e. how clean it is/any repairs which happens before releasing the deposit. A good agent makes life easier, you just need to find one.

We all need to be more like Fergus Wilson
oh come one, he's a lightweight, you want someone like Perec Rachman dont you