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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think no it's not my business what does on in our buy to let

147 replies

Shapesandshops · 08/04/2019 18:21

Sorry need opinions please.

Hubby is mainly in charge of this but I just wanted to canvas opinions.

We are in the lucky position of owning a couple of buy to lets. Mainly they run themselves really and I have nothing to do with them.

We were recently able to buy a new home and rent our old one out. As we used to live there I feel some sense of responsibility to my old neighbours but no real friendships. The letting agent has found us Tennant's and we are happy. Hubby deals with the letting agent. I have been receiving messages from old neighbours telling me the new tennants are anti social and they have had to call the police etc. Hubby says to ignore, block if necessary and tell them to get in touch with the letting agent as necessary. New tennants have a good credit history and paid first month's rent fine.

Am I being unreasonable to want nothing to do with it? Ie we have moved out of the area, don't intent to return as kids grown up etc. At the end of the day, if they are not in breach of our contract I mainly agree with hubby that it's none of our business and do not feel we should serve notice because our old neighbours can't get on with the new ones.

OP posts:
Original poster
Shapesandshops · 08/04/2019 19:46

We are in England. To be honest it's not our biggest asset and can afford repairs. I don't think a bit of noise outdoors in the first month is all that bad. As I say the police incident sounded very he said she said. Also tbh if it's too much of a hassle we will sell.

OP posts:
Quartz2208 · 08/04/2019 19:48

www.property24.com/articles/tenant-behaviour-is-landlords-responsibility/23021

Have a read of this - actually it says it is your responsibility.

Notcontent · 08/04/2019 19:50

I agree with others that you, as the owner of the property, have an obligation to ensure that your tenants are not being anti social or causing nuisance. The thing is that some tenants (obviously not most) don’t really care how they behave, as they know that they will just move on and think they can behave any way they want to without consequences... that’s why it’s important for the landlord to ensure that whoever is living there doesn’t make life hell for others....

MrsElizabethShelby · 08/04/2019 19:50

What on earth is wrong with people on this thread? The op has never stayed that it's like having the Jeremy Kyle show next door ffsake Hmm

A landlord has to allow quiet enjoyment of a property. Calling Tennant's to reprimand them for hearsay is madness.

I most certainly expect to be able to live in my home. Sometimes that means the neighbours might hear a row, i might very occasionally even have a party in the garden till as late as 11pm.
And people sometimes park like dicks. You don't mention your old neighbours as having tried to speak to them directly. They need to do this first and have proof of it being unacceptable before you or the letting agency get involved imo.

SunshineCake · 08/04/2019 19:51

Give them a chance? A chance for, of, what?

MaybeitsMaybelline · 08/04/2019 20:04

My DP had this when their NDN moved and rented their home to a series of antisocial idiots. Good neighbourhood where they never saw the police, then there were visits for domestic violence, drugs, anti social behaviour, loud music, rude feral kids, it was horrendous.

Eventually they did a moonlight flit, leaving masses of debts, a garden like Steptoe’s yard and missing fixtures and fittings.

My parents lives were a misery for two years, because the replacement tenants did the same as the first lot, and it turned out they were actually related.

the CF landlord ex neighbour asked my parents why they hadn’t let him know his house was in the state it was. Yet, had refused to approach the tenant about their awful behaviour whilst he was getting his rent and living elsewhere,

You’re reap what you sow OP.

MadameAnchou · 08/04/2019 20:08

Oh, yy, had this, too. 'You approach the crim neighbour I put in to speak to them to sort it out'. Nope, fuck you. I'll just keep ringing the cops until you, the CF greedy LL, gets fined. Job done. Not fucking risking my life speaking to some hoodrat who may have a knife to make your life easier.

Wondermoomin · 08/04/2019 20:09

You sound like a terrible landlord. Perhaps you'll learn a lesson somewhere along the line with this one...

And please stop saying "it's all a bit he said she said". One side of the situation is your old neighbours whom you know personally and who had reason to call the police. The only (good) thing you know about the other side is that they paid their first month's rent.

saraclara · 08/04/2019 20:57

I thought this was what letting agents were for. Many landlords aren't local to their properties so can't get involved in a practical way. My mum has been a nursing home for nine years and has never even been to her buy to let property, and certainly wouldn't be able to sort out anything like this. Everything is in the hands of the letting agent. That's the whole point of having one.

Jammydodger1981 · 08/04/2019 20:59

Quartz2208 That’s a South African site...

Quartz2208 · 08/04/2019 21:01

Oops

It still a landlords responsibility to follow up though is most countries

The OP should be concerned by though is how the tenants are treating her house

OldAndWornOut · 08/04/2019 21:02

My neighbour in our little block of flats got hold of the landlords number when tenants from hell moved in.

Every time we were kept awake all night, she phoned the landlord to tell him. All night.

MyKingdomForBrie · 08/04/2019 21:08

Sorry but I think you're a bit of an arsehole to just not care that you're collecting money while your property's neighbours lives are being ruined (yes that's how bad it is to have nightmare neighbours).

I hate the 'I'm alright jack' attitude that people seem to think is the norm now.

TheDarkPassenger · 08/04/2019 21:09

You know if they get consistent complaints to the police we can actually evict on your behalf and then then you will not be able to re-rent the property out for up to 12 months. So I’d nip this right in the bud now because money seems awfully important to you. Deal with this quite often at work

StarShapedWindow · 08/04/2019 21:33

If I was you I would phone the letting agency and tell them to update you on anything they have reported to them. I would then visit the property and talk to the neighbours. Explain to the tenants about the worrying reports you’ve had back and see how things go over the next few weeks/months. It could be that the neighbours have taken against the new tenants because of the parking issue (we all know how parking can upset people).

BrightYellowDaffodil · 08/04/2019 21:40

It bloody well IS your responsibility - absentee landlords can be an absolute pain in the arse and you sound like you're up there with them. You seem to think that noise is acceptable (of course you would, you don't have to put up with it do you?), you think that a neighbour that called the police due to a fight going on is just 'snobby' and you think that several aggressive, anti-social behaviour episodes should just be shrugged off with a 'let them settle in'. But hey! It's OK, you live a long way away and don't have to live with it all. Marvellous!

Frankly, they sound a nightmare and so do you. You shouldn't be blocking your old neighbours, you should be down on your fucking knees apologising for your shitty management of the situation (FYI, in case it had escaped your notice, lettings agents are lazy bastards who will do as little about this situation as possible). Stop making excuses and make your tenants behave in a way that YOU'D expect YOUR neighbours to.

Do everyone a favour and sell your 'buy to lets' so that everyone is saved from the hell of the tenants you've foisted on them.

OldAndWornOut · 08/04/2019 21:47

The nightmare neighbours above living above me almost drove me to.. well, I don't know.

I had lots of other stuff going on, a difficult job working shifts. It really made me ill.
I had no idea the damage it can do, mentally.

Andromeida59 · 08/04/2019 21:54

OP YABVU. You have a responsibility to the neighbours not just your tenants. I think it's very kind that your neighbours have got in contact but it's a really shitty thing to rent out a property to people then absolve yourself of all responsibility.

It's people like the OP that give LL's a bad name.

saraclara · 08/04/2019 22:06

I'll say it again. THE LETTING AGENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEALING WITH THIS.

Give the OP a break. The problem is NOT being ignored. The letting agents are dealing with the police. It's what the OP pays them to do.

Haggisfish · 08/04/2019 22:08

Ime the letting agent will do fuck all about the police. They may send a letter warning of breach of contract conditions, but often only if the landlord instructs them to do so.

saraclara · 08/04/2019 22:10

The letting agent has found us Tennant's and we are happy. Hubby deals with the letting agent. I have been receiving messages from old neighbours telling me the new tennants are anti social and they have had to call the police etc. Hubby says to ignore, block if necessary and tell them to get in touch with the letting agent as necessary.

The tenants will have signed a contract with the letting agents. The agent is responsible for checking that they pay their rent and keep to the contract (which will include clauses about anti-social behaviour).
OP's husband is liaising with the letting agent, and both seem to be doing what needs doing. The husband is right to tell OP not to get involved. The neighbours should be dealing with the agent, who is, after all, the person who is local to the situation and knows what's going on.

MadameAnchou · 08/04/2019 22:12

I'm afraid the law is such that, in some places, it's actually the LL who is responsible, not the letting agent.

wigglypiggly · 08/04/2019 22:13

Its ok for the lettin g agent to deal with this sort of thing but I would want proof of what is going on see the police reports, speak to the neighbours and if they are being a nuisance I'd start proceedings to to get rid.

HarrysOwl · 08/04/2019 22:13

Sounds like you don't give a shit as long as you're getting the rent paid.

I feel sorry for your previous neighbours.

Londongirl888 · 08/04/2019 22:17

OP you and hubby come across as a bit wet,ineffective and are deluded it is your responsibility but heigh ho

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