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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Tenant Always Pays Late

128 replies

el1zabeth · 03/08/2019 22:40

I have a tenant who, for the last 8 months is always late with the rent. When she moved into the house 2 years ago, she would pay in 6 monthly chunks which was great.

At the beginning of this year she had a nasty altercation with her boyfriend (who also lived at the house) and he left. I asked if she wanted to remain living there with her 2 little children, and did she want to continue to pay in 6 month lump sums. At the time she said that she did want to stay, but would it be okay if she paid month to month until she decided what to do, so I agreed.

Since then, I have always had to text /email /phone her to remind that it's time for the rent (due on 1st of each month) and each time I try to make contact it takes days before she responds, and there's always some excuse such as "sorry I didn't see your text, one of the kids must have got hold of my phone and read it" or "I tried to transfer the money but someone has hacked into my online account so I need to go to the bank to sort it" and other similar scenarios. I am always having to pretty much beg for the rent, and it's making me pissed off. It's MY house and she already underpays (according to the going rate by around £100 monthly) I have bills to pay from the monthly rent, which ok, I usually have sufficient in my account to cover them, but it's not the point.

She's now late again, and her latest excuse yesterday was that she was out for the day and the (alleged) standing order that she set up, she'd accidentally set it for the 9th of the month which is eight days over the contract due date.

My husband thinks perhaps it's time to give her notice to vacate, but I'll feel bad knowing that she did have a terrible time at the beginning of the year and she has two very young children to take care of alone. I know she loves living there plus she said the schools where she wants her kids to attend are in the right district, but this is a business and I'm not a charity and I shouldn't have to be the one who feels guilty asking for what is our money.

Would it be unreasonable to give her notice to get out, or do I simply carry on calling emailing texting and ultimately going to the house to collect the rent, late, each month?

OP posts:
Chickenish · 03/08/2019 22:44

Is there any way that you can give her notice that if she doesn’t sort herself out, you will be giving her notice? Maybe then, she’ll get her act together. I know that I would, in her situation. At the moment, you are low in her list of financial priorities and that needs to change.

LenoVintura · 03/08/2019 22:44

Can you tell her that the rent must be paid on time and that if not you will be serving notice. As things stand, it seems you haven't applied any real pressure, so she doesn't think you really mind.

LenoVintura · 03/08/2019 22:45

X post with Chickenish sorry.

Utterutterutter · 03/08/2019 22:45

Yes, I think that would be a good compromise. Give her a serious final warning.

Pipandmum · 03/08/2019 22:51

Is it but part of her lease that rent must be paid by direct debit on or nearest business day to X date? I think you should write to her registered post and say as per lease she is obliged to pay on x date each month and if she continues to miss the date further action will be considered.

AnneLovesGilbert · 03/08/2019 22:52

How have you been responding to her excuses? I agree she thinks she’s getting away with it so why would she change?

Her situation isn’t your problem. She doesn’t know how difficult your life might be and as you say, it’s a business arrangement. If she’d come to you with a problem one month, explained it would be a couple of days late and apologised that would be one thing but she’s full in lying and that’s shit.

If she doesn’t want to pay what it costs on time she can find someone else to take the piss out of and you can rent to someone else and get the going rate for it.

Manno75 · 03/08/2019 22:54

Personally I’d just evict her. Give her notice and get rid. She is taking the piss.

PanamaPattie · 03/08/2019 22:54

Give her notice. She's taking the piss.

pickme · 03/08/2019 22:56

Be warned I did this with a tenant and she just stopped paying. But it took me 2 months to realise as she carried on her normal crap for a few weeks but it went on a couple of weeks longer then she paid the day her next rent was due did it again, by which time I had to wait a month to serve her a eviction notice then 2 months, basically when all was said and done I lost 6 months rent rather than 3 if I hadn't given her a warning then another 2 months until I got another tenant.

In the £100 less than market rent. If she had been a good payer I would leave a good tenant paying regularly and forget about increasing because you can lose in one month any gains you could get in a year over an amount like that, sometimes 2 years if you need to update a bit.

JoxerGoesToStuttgart · 03/08/2019 22:58

I would give her a final warning that rent is due by the first of the month (not around the first) and that if it is late again on one occasion you will be serving notice. Tell her that will happen regardless of the reason for the late rent.

LolaSmiles · 03/08/2019 23:02

I'm possibly being too charitable here but is there a chance she gets paid on the last working day of the month and because she's disorganised etc she doesn't sort the quick turnaround on money in/money out?

If she's a good tenant in other ways (and depending on area good tenants are hard to find), could you move the rent due date to the 5th and insist on a standing order is made to you by that date.

She could be an out and out piss takeror there might be something small that could make it easier for her to pay on time.

Venger · 03/08/2019 23:03

Could you ask her what day of the month is best for her and make that the new rent due date? For example, if the 9th is better than the 1st due to when she gets her wages then could she pay a month plus nine days for the first payment and then on the 9th of each month for subsequent months?

When we set up our rent payments we were offered the option of weekly, four weekly, or monthly. We chose monthly and were then offered a choice of which day of the month it would be taken.

Original poster
el1zabeth · 03/08/2019 23:06

You're all correct yes and she is taking the piss now.

I'll have to 'grow a pair' and give her the final warning. She has always paid cash and it's never been direct debit from her account. As I said, originally she would pay in lump sums each 6 months, but since the horrible time she had with the bf, it's monthly.
Time to compose a letter and tell her how it's got to be or else, she gets her marching orders.

OP posts:
IsobelRae23 · 03/08/2019 23:08

So you require the rent on the 1st but maybe she doesn’t paid until a week or so later? That’s why there is a hold up?

She’s obviously struggling. Giving her notice- where does she suddenly find a couple or thousand to move? She won’t be able too. So she will be told to stay in the property in until you’ve been to court etc, and the bailiffs finally arrive. I know that’s not your problem, I’m just looking at it from a different viewpoint.

Original poster
el1zabeth · 03/08/2019 23:12

Lolasmiles I think she has money from an inheritance from her grandad so she uses that money to pay. When I go to the house to collect it, it's always a wad of cash, therefore the date isn't an issue for her.

It's more annoying because she never texts to say "sorry I'm late I'll get it to you asap" I'm always the one who has to ask, multiple times.

OP posts:
SofiaAmes · 03/08/2019 23:16

Don't you have a late fee written into the contract? You could "remind" her to add the late fee charge to the late rent, please. I would just give her notice and not give a reason why, or lie and say that a family member wants to move in. It may cause less trouble/resentment than making it about the late rent. Of course she knows that the rent is due on the 1st. Everyone knows that.

jelly79 · 03/08/2019 23:20

Going from no firm conversation to eviction considering you feel she has had a hard time is pretty harsh in my opinion. I would imagine it's more suitable for both you and your tenant to sort the payment date out.

Just tell her it's not acceptable going forward, agree a suitable date and advise of the consequences should she be late again. Have a conversation then confirm in writing.

Original poster
el1zabeth · 03/08/2019 23:22

SofiaAmes I'll need to dig out the contract to check. One thing in our favour is that we insisted upon a home-owner guarantor when she moved in, so at least I know her dad will have to cough up if it gets too bad.
Ugh, I hate confrontation of any sort, even if I'm in the right.

OP posts:
SofiaAmes · 03/08/2019 23:39

jelly79 it's not a surprise or some new fangled rule that rent is due on the 1st every month. Why should the OP be responsible for reminding a grown adult who is not her child, of standard adult responsibilities. Presumably the OP is relying on that rental income to pay her own bills. It would probably be more palatable if the tenant had been honest and acknowledged (or even asked if it was ok) that she has joined the OP into her money issues. It's especially galling since there is a father who presumably has enough spare money/income to make him a viable guarantor.

I rent out part of my home to make ends meet when my ds got so sick that I was unable to go out to work. Luckily my tenants at the time were very responsible. It would have been even more awful than it was, to have to add irresponsible tenants to my burdens.

SofiaAmes · 03/08/2019 23:41

OP, you don't have to confront...just send a sweet text saying..."don't forget to add the late fee to your rent." And maybe send a nice text to her father to ask if he might be able to help out as the late rent is making things difficult for you financially....

jimmyhill · 03/08/2019 23:43

I think she has money from an inheritance from her grandad so she uses that money to pay. When I go to the house to collect it, it's always a wad of cash

Catch yourself on!

jelly79 · 03/08/2019 23:43

@SofiaAmes I don't disagree that the tenant should of been better at paying and absolutely shouldn't need to be told. However the OP has said she has had a hard time and sounds like has been pretty accepting of it so far. I'm sure the preference is to not have to get another tenant in so I personally would warn her of the consequences of future late payments and see if that resolves the issue.

SpornStar · 03/08/2019 23:54

Perhaps as a result of her relationship break up she has had to claim benefits which pay out on a certain date in the month (I’m thinking Universal Credit) which is why she’s struggling to make the payment by the first of the month. She may not want to disclose this to you in case you threaten eviction.

Original poster
el1zabeth · 03/08/2019 23:59

I was just telling my husband what you'd all responded with. He's now emailed her to more or less say "get your act together or we'll have no choice but to terminate the lease".

I don't want to upset her, but you're all correct in as much as she is taking the piss, I'm too soft and the payment date has always been 1st of each month, so friggin' pay it !

OP posts:
Hiphopopotamus · 03/08/2019 23:59

Wait so she would pay you six months rent at a time in a wad of cash?? And you never thought that was odd? Even monthly in cash. You don’t get given an inheritance in a chest of banknotes!