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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

caughtinanet · 09/04/2019 20:26

Why is the ndn worried about safeguarding? Are there children or vunerable people involved?

Original poster

Shapesandshops · 10/04/2019 09:03

Thanks again for all responses. Short of serving notice a month in I don't see what we can do. Yes there were children in the house but not their children so don't really see how it's a safeguarding issue

I think it's just one of those things. You can't control what people do all of the time. People have to rub along, despite differences. What am I supposed to do... What does anyone do? Interview?! It's just not feasible. Thanks again for the helpful responses.

OP posts:

spritesandunicorns · 10/04/2019 09:26

Dh is a full time landlord and would go and make a check at the very least in this situation. Although he manages his own properties and doesn’t use an agent so this would fall on him.

We have kept a few properties that we have lived in and these are more personal as you know the neighbours etc. I think YABU in letting this continue without at least checking up on the property and enquiring about the police visit to find out the full story.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 10/04/2019 10:10

There is plenty you could do but you clearly don’t want to do it.

The obvious thing - well, obvious to anyone who has more than two brain cells to knock tongther - is for you to instruct the letting agent to deal with this by:

Looking into the situation properly by speaking with the police and neighbour to establish exactly what the tenants have been accused of and the evidence for such;
If it does seem unclear as to whether the tenants were guilty of that which they were accused, writing to them to point out the need to respect neighbours, no noise between 11pm and 7am (the generally accepted time when there should not be disturbance in the form of noise) and no anti social behaviour. The letter should also set out what will happen if they do do these things, e.g. a final warning then the serving of notice;
If tou have reasonable grounds to believe they’ve done what they were accused of, send a stronger letter stating that their actions are unacceptable, and that final letter then eviction will be the next steps.

TL;DR version: make sure your tenants know they are expected to behave, and enforce eviction if they don’t.

There, that’s not so difficult is it? It’s called taking responsibility and sorting problems out actively rather than being lazy arseholes who are only interested in finding a reason not to do anything.

ChocChocButtons · 10/04/2019 10:12

The problem is when they trash your house et. Then you’ll want everything to do with it so go deal with it now and make sure everything is ok.

Inliverpool1 · 10/04/2019 10:16

When I was in my 20’s I lived in a flat where the neighbors made my life hell. I accidentally hit my garage with my car and the neighbors called the police and said I’d hit and run. It was my fucking garage ... you should check on your property but keep out of it. I suspect the tenants will leave anyway

Amongstthetallgrass · 10/04/2019 10:25

Op we have had buy to Let before we sold up. Just monitor it.

You don’t ever really know who you let in, we had very quiet tennants who paid on time but grew weed in the attic, we’ve had tennants who paid on time but absolutely destroyed the house.

Don’t forget this house is an asset and a future pension. How long is their tenancy?

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 10/04/2019 10:26

OP with the greatest respect I have been the complaining neighbour in this situation and trust me (assuming there are really some anti social activities occurring here) it's horrible and when it gets bad could seriously impact on the quality of life and mental health of these people.

I'm sorry but you absolutely have a responsibility to look into this. If you choose to ignore this there could be a consequence to you. These tenants could damage your property!

You are adding to the perception people have of money grabbing BTL landlords that just want to make cash at little cost.

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 10/04/2019 10:39

So I've now RTFT and yep, you're one of those landlords.

In terms of what behaviour has actually occurred bear in mind that when your living next to anti social behaviour 24/7 for every incident that actually gets reported there can be 10 other lower level incidents happen. Most people put up with A LOT before complaining.

PCohle · 10/04/2019 10:49

I don't really understand your point OP: "What am I supposed to do... What does anyone do? Interview?! It's just not feasible. Thanks again for the helpful responses."

It may be hard, or indeed impossible, to predict in advance who will become problem tenants. But that doesn't mean that once it has become very clear that they are causing problems you should just do nothing.

Purpletigers · 10/04/2019 10:52

You’re really not cut out to be a landlord . Do you think it’s just a matter of buying the house and then pocketing the cash. There is a degree of effort involved and the estate agent won’t do it all . Have some responsibility towards your former neighbours and either speak to the tenants or ask them to leave . You’ll be lucky if they don’t wreck the place or stop paying rent .

EBearhug · 10/04/2019 11:07

I would check exactly what my contract with the letting agent covers, to be sure I knew where responsibilities begin and end for each party. I would want to be informed of each incident when it happened (which i'r sounds like is happening.) I would be prepared to let it go as a one-off, but would want the agent and through the agent, the tenants, to know that if it happens again with police involvement, then I would probably serve notice - also I'd be checking the tenancy agreement if that sort of thing is covered, because if it's written in the contract, you'll have to go with what's written there, but I would expect clauses around anti-social behaviour and breaking the law. It usually says something about quiet enjoyment of the property, I think, among everything else.

It is primarily for the letting agent to deal with, but they can take direction from you (within the terms of the contract) when they are representing you to the tenants.

Nearlythere1 · 10/04/2019 15:15

I've been watching this thread from the start without commenting, waiting for the OP to redeem herself. It has not been forthcoming. Your attitude is disgusting OP. As long as you're happy then nothing else matters eh? You're literally not willing to take any steps whatsoever to even investigate, despite the overwhelming majority on here saying you should, and giving you many ways to do so. Bad neighbours make people's lives a misery, but bad landlords are the scum of the earth.

Giddyuppp · 10/04/2019 15:20

OP, you have a terrible attitude! I'm actually shocked.

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 10/04/2019 15:38

I think the answer to OP is damn right you're BU

Confusedbeetle · 10/04/2019 16:06

Actually as a Landlord myself I will tell you that yes you have the responsibility for tenants who are upsetting the neighbours. This will be clearly stated in the Tenancy Agreement. You need to go and see them and explain there have been complaints and that puts them in breach of their contract. I would also serve section 21 notice which is potentially a notice to quit that will not be enacted if there are no more complaints. If your letting agent is managing the property you should talk to tem about doing this

Jon65 · 10/04/2019 18:42

@Confusedbeetle - as a landlord surely you know the law. You cannot serve a section 21 notice at this stage of the fixed term. Your advice is wrong. Unfortunately at this stage there is little the landlord can do other than monitor the situation. There are other anti social behaviour grounds but these are not mandatory possession and on this level of behaviour the Op doesn't have a cat in hells chance of getting a PO so she's right not to waste her and the court's time and money.

Andromeida59 · 10/04/2019 19:22

[I think it's just one of those things. You can't control what people do all of the time. People have to rub along, despite differences. What am I supposed to do... What does anyone do? Interview?! It's just not feasible. Thanks again for the helpful responses]

Seriously? What does anyone do?

Take responsibility, don't dismiss your neighbours and don't go in to letting property, blindly.

Also, police were called as there was a disturbance. The children do not live at the property? Why were the children even at the property?
It sounds really dodgy to me.

I can't believe that the OP is continuing to act like a victim. If you're not willing to deal with this then you shouldn't be landlords.

expat101 · 10/04/2019 22:46

I'm not in the UK but find it hard to believe if the police have been called to your property, there hasn't been a breach of the agreement.

I have had this happen with fixed term tenancies and (the tenancy law where I live) clearly allows you/agent to issue a breach regardless of the type of tenancy. How good is this Agent you have signed up to act on your behalf?

I get that by engaging an agent, you as the property owner are supposed to let them do their job so it doesn't turn into a ''she said, he said'' situation.
However, it seems to me if you have forwarded on your neighbours' concerns (who are looking out for your best interests ie asset investment/protection) and the information that the police have been present at your property, and the Agent has done diddly squat about following it through, you need to find yourself a new (active) agent.

BoomBoomsCousin · 11/04/2019 05:16

Anyone can call the police for any reason. Callers can be unreasonable or even lie to police. Evicting simply because the police were called would be unfair. Unfair terms in a tenancy agreement are not valid in England so even if your agreement said having the police called was a breach of the tenancy that clause would not be valid.

mumwon · 11/04/2019 22:54

confused beatle you cant serve a section 21 until tenancy has run 6 months which this has not.
www.rla.org.uk/landlord/guides/dealing-with-antisocial-behaviour.shtml
as you can see from this the term "notorious difficult to prove" & get through courts BUT op described behaviour which is open to interpretation of the possibility that neighbour is over stating/exaggerating situation for what ever reason (racism children in garden???) so you have to go carefully to try & establish the truth but I would still find a reason to visit & a chat. If it was so easy to "get people out" or "to make them behave" why do you think social housing have so many issues too?

Londonmummy66 · 12/04/2019 12:18

OP - I think your attitude is appalling. Rentzilla springs to mind

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