AIBU to ask if this would make me seem like a pushover?

[GlummyMcGlummerson]

I'm a landlord, and I currently have a very good tenant in the property I own - he has paid on time without fail for a year, keeps the property spotless, no neighbour complaints and doesn't have ridiculous expectations - I've found this is a rare kind of tenant. I've had tenants who've complained that snails have come in the garden, that they don't like the colour of the washing machine and insisted I come round change light bulbs for them. I also had one tenant destroy the property costing me thousands. So I'm very happy with the guy I have in there now.

Anyway my tenant lost his job before Christmas so couldn't pay the rent, which was due on 15th December, as his boss' (he worked for a small business) business folded and he couldn't pay employees their final months salaries. He was promised the money before Christmas but I confess when he told me I thought "you're never hearing from that guy again". His old boss has ghosted him since, unsurprisingly and he was never paid. The news was in the local paper so I know he's telling the truth.

Anyway he found a new job within a few days and so I said just call me on pay day and we'll sort it out then. He called yesterday, he got paid but was behind on council tax and child maintenance so asked if he could just pay one the Dec-Jan rent for now and the rest (so January 15th - February 15th) in a couple of weeks. And then a month's again on February 15th. I said that's fine.

I'm thinking of just writing the January rent off and starting again on 15th February. I worry that he'll spend forever playing catch up otherwise and I don't want to lose him as a tenant. It's a lot to lose a months wages. I can afford to go without the money luckily. But would this send the message that I'm a pushover/he can take the piss/I can afford to go without for longer? I have a tendency to be a bit of a doormat without people so I try to separate that mentality from business transactions, but I think when I can afford it it's probably the right thing to do.

I wouldn't let him off the rent as I think he might think he can then take advantage, but if you're not desperate for the money he might appreciate it if you let him pay it back over a couple of months to make it a bit easier.

I think it would be a nice thing to do. Good tenants are hard to come by and if you can afford to do it without any impact on you, and it would make his life easier, then I would do it. Give and take and flexibility on both sides is what makes a good relationship IMO.

It sounds like this was through no fault of his own and you have no reason to believe he'll do it again.

I think thats a very kind thing to do and as a landlord people like you are probably rare. I don't think it makes you a pushover, it makes you compassionate.

I’m also a landlord, so know that good tenants are priceless. Could you get him to pay the missing rent back over 3-6 months?

I think that would be an exceptionally generous thing to do! How caring and compassionate you are, I expect your tenant would be so releived.

I would offer a six-month payback plan on the arrears, rather than write it off completely.

I'd say don't write off the rent. In my experience as a landlord it doesn't pay off to blur the relationship like that. What you've done is kind and decent already. I'd definitely let him pay it later or in instalments - and maybe spend some money on something to improve the flat a bit to show you value him as a tenant.

I would just come up with a repayment plan. He can pay perhaps £100 extra in rent a month for however many months it will take to be repayed. If you can afford to write it off it would be a nice thing to do though.

I wouldn't let him off. If you're feeling benevolent then maybe let him clear the debt over 3 months as other have suggested. Frankly, he may be a good tenant but he is not a great tenant. Rent is a priority debt and he failed to treat it as such. He could have borrowed money to pay his rent, he could have sold something, he could have made sure he had enough money in reserve to cover unforeseen circumstances. By letting him off you would be setting a very dangerous precedent and, yes, setting yourself up as a soft touch. You're just asking to be the first of his obligations to take the hit any time he's short of funds which is quite likely given that he appears to be living paycheck to paycheck.

I also think payment plan is a good idea . You sound like a lovely person but you can't let him off for a month rent . You've done him a huge favour being nice about it etc so he wouldn't expect that and yes if he's having difficulty in future he could expect it again .

It's a nice idea but I think it sets the wrong precedent. So I'd say divide the missing months rent over the next 6 or 12 months depending on the level.

I think you’d be better off allowing him to pay the ‘missing month’ off over the next 6 months tbh.

He’s been a great tenant, but it has only been a year - it’s really not that long and I found being too accommodating did lead to tenants taking the piss afterwards as it seemed to change their mindset from rent being something they just had to pay to live in a property to ‘well she doesn’t need the rent it’s all MY money she’s keeping’.

Whereas if you say you can, this once, spread the repayment out a bit, it’ll still massively help him, but it’s less likely to work against you IMO

Ask him to suggest a payment plan that you can both agree on.

Frankly, he may be a good tenant but he is not a great tenant. Rent is a priority debt and he failed to treat it as such

I think this is unfair. He ASKED if he could pay council tax & child maintenance before the rent which I think is fine. He ASKED. & they’re priority debts too.

Given how quickly he started a new job I’m assuming he’s probably in a low paid job, and probably can’t afford to have rent or anything else ‘saved’, nor does he necessarily have stuff he could sell. Many people in this country are living pay check to pay check & not because they’re pissing it up the wall, but simply because wages are too low for many jobs.

(Thankfully I’m not in that position, so I’m not being defensive.)

Oh no! Let him do his payment plan. If he fails then think about the options. If you do it now he's always going to prototise rent over other bills. I'm a landlord too.

If you can afford it I would let him off and start afresh or he will forever be playing catch up, just shows what a nice person you are

Yeah I agree although a very nice thing to do may not be the best idea. Set up a repayment whereby he pays a little extra each month. You could even spread it over the whole year.

i agree setting a payment plan. so not writing it off but maybe just £50-£100 a month

Poor man. I think I would go with his plan but say that you don't want to put any pressure on him as he is such a good tenant. Tell him that you are open to him repaying over a longer period if that helps him

You don’t need to do it though. He is happy to pay it and has agreed a plan to do so. Why would you think you would lose him as a tenant because he has to pay rent? I’m really struggling with your logic here.

I have a friend who was I'll and due to start a new job so without pay for 6 weeks. He was a great tenant landlord let him off with a months rent and he was really grateful. Never took advantage.

Your tenant seems like an organised and decent person I dont expect they will take advantage because you are shown to be kind. Decent landlords are also much appreciated.

My tenant was in a similar situation so we came to an agreement on what was easiest for him to pay back on top of his usual rent. Like you, he keeps the place spotless.

What a lovely kind thing to do! I personally think spreading happiness much more important than money and it's lovely that you've even thought of it. Hard to think of how it would affect your relationship with the tenant though. You said he's a good tenant so maybe it will improve your relationship even more.

I think this is unfair. He ASKED if he could pay council tax & child maintenance before the rent which I think is fine. He ASKED. & they’re priority debts too.

Given how quickly he started a new job I’m assuming he’s probably in a low paid job, and probably can’t afford to have rent or anything else ‘saved’, nor does he necessarily have stuff he could sell. Many people in this country are living pay check to pay check & not because they’re pissing it up the wall, but simply because wages are too low for many jobs.

The first and foremost responsibility of a tenant is to pay their rent in full and on time. Doing that alone does not make either a good tenant or even a great tenant, it just makes them not a bad tenant.

He's been renting from the OP for a year and he's already in arrears. On that basis alone I'm being generous giving him the benefit of the doubt that he may still be a good tenant. I get that he may be on a low wage, that he may not have savings or anything of value to sell and that council tax and CMS are also priority debts. I am sympathetic to anyone who is struggling but none of that is the OP's problem and she would be very foolish IMO to make it so.

She's a landlord not a charity or a credit union and if she wants to be charitable I bet there are a million and one more deserving causes than her tenant.

(Thankfully I’m not in that position, so I’m not being defensive.)

I am not in his position either, nor hers for for that matter. What I am is old enough and wise enough to know that the saying "give them an inch and they'll take a mile" holds true far more often than "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" bears positive fruit.

Op, you've been more than generous, but let him sort his own finances. Keep this as a business arrangement, he is not your responsibility. Don't offer any further concessions.

And I say that as someone who has also been a landlord. Keep it professional and business like.