To do nothing about tenant?

[MyBurdenisHeavy]

Hi folks, happy new year.

We have a flat in London that was used for work 2/3 nights a week. Been WFH since pandemic and started to rent it out a year ago. It’s not typically a “family” building. Mainly young professionals. Anyway we were approached by a company who offered to lease it from us and they would manage the letting. Turns out they have a contract with a homeless charity or such and had a few units in our building housing homeless families during the pandemic. No issues there - all good. Fast forward a year and we’re being contacted by other tenants/owners who managed to get our number, pleading with us to do something about the people in our flat (a mother and 3 boys I understand - 2.5, 4 and 6). Apparently they are making the lives of the people below them (at least 2 flats based on the way they are laid out) an utter misery - stomping, running, jumping from morning to night I’m told. I contacted the company we leased it to and they said that they had received some complaints a few months ago and called out to talk to the family a few times. The complaints kept coming and ultimately they said the woman explained that the children were just playing and being kids so she didn’t know what they wanted her to do. They told me the kids were probably a bit boisterous alright but ultimately that’s part of apartment living and the neighbours just have to accept there’s a family living there and get on with it. The complaints kept coming apparently but they had closed the matter and are no longer responding to them - they told me there is a legal route the other residents could take if they felt strongly about it, but it rarely happens so just sit tight and don’t worry about it.
I’m now up the walls with anxiety and guilt and don’t know what the right thing to do is.
It’s abundantly clear that the woman cannot or will not control the kids (no judgement - just stating fact that it will not be resolved from that side). So the options are to carry on and leave things as they are - thereby upsetting the neighbours and ruining their home life (their words), or terminate the lease (I can do this in 4 months) and cause distress to the woman and her kids.
AIBU to do nothing, stay out of it and leave the family stay there?

[quote AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken]@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills
I pay thousands and thousands in tax. I’m more than happy for that to go towards paying for a roof over three children’s heads. I’m also happy for that roof to be in the city their mum chooses to live in or the city she happens to have been born in and have ties to.
London is not just for the rich elite.[/quote]
How do you know the mother was born here or has any family ties??

Many nurses/ teachers/ police/ firefighters have no choice but to move out of London due to the cost of rent- how is it fair that this family get to stay?

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills
Nobody has a God-given right to choose to live in an expensive city…..

Who said the mother and children have chosen to live in London? You seem completely unaware that homeless also means unable to pay to move to another city/town?

@AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken

I'm glad you said it. I was thinking the same. Unless it says no children on the lease which is probably not the case.

@EmpressCixi

Complete bollocks. All noise of any kind can be recorded. Impact noise isn’t exempt by magic. The neighbours are telling porkies.

I’m no expert on noise recording but I did look it up at the time and it looked like there was some truth to it. Specialist recording equipment may be required and ultimately the recording would not necessarily convey the reality of actually living through it.
But have no experience as I say so not sure.

[quote EmpressCixi]@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills
Nobody has a God-given right to choose to live in an expensive city…..

Who said the mother and children have chosen to live in London? You seem completely unaware that homeless also means unable to pay to move to another city/town?[/quote]
Many councils do move homeless people to other cities/ towns actually.

Complete waste of money to house them in London!

How do you know the mother was born here or has any family ties??

I said where the mum chooses to live or has family ties. I’m happy either way.

Many nurses/ teachers/ police/ firefighters have no choice but to move out of London due to the cost of rent- how is it fair that this family get to stay?

And why do you think that is happening?
Because homeless people are given homes to live in or because rich people are pricing out lower paid workers and people who rely on benefits and leaving properties empty?
I’ll give you a clue, homeless people do not have the influence you seem to think.

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills
Many nurses/ teachers/ police/ firefighters have no choice but to move out of London due to the cost of rent- how is it fair that this family get to stay?

Take it up with your MP then. Go and tell them how it’s completely unfair to house any of London’s homeless children in London while decently paid professional civil servants are forced to live outside London where homes have actual gardens and enough bedrooms so their children don’t have to share 3 to a room.

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills
Many councils do move homeless people to other cities/ towns actually.

Which is it then? Is the family living where the council forcibly moves them them to, or are they “choosing” to live in London and the council has to pay? You cannot have it both ways.

I've tried to record my downstairs neighbours but it just doesn't come across on recordings.
There's 2 young children running about the flat, walls shake and you can feel the thudding round the flat, a recording just doesn't show this up adequately.
Btw I've never complained, they are young and I could have a hell of a lot worse neighbours than excitable children!

Many nurses/ teachers/ police/ firefighters have no choice but to move out of London due to the cost of rent- how is it fair that this family get to stay?

The family ate homless the charity /council have put her there with her children. She is not allowed to refuse the accommodation

[quote MyBurdenisHeavy]@EmpressCixi

Complete bollocks. All noise of any kind can be recorded. Impact noise isn’t exempt by magic. The neighbours are telling porkies.

I’m no expert on noise recording but I did look it up at the time and it looked like there was some truth to it. Specialist recording equipment may be required and ultimately the recording would not necessarily convey the reality of actually living through it.
But have no experience as I say so not sure.[/quote]
Specialist recording equipment is usually to catch noises that cannot be heard by the human ear. If the noise is loud and disruptive to the human ear, any half decent smart phone could record it easily. It is also very cheap to buy a decibel measurement tool that can record whether any noise actually exceeding environmental noise restrictions.

The fact the neighbours seem unable to furnish any proof of noise whatsoever is highly suspicious. I’m not surprise the letting agent closed the complaint.

I wouldn't terminate the lease. The woman has likely had a really shit run at things. Perhaps leaving an abusive partner. Whatever the reason, she's in desperate need of a house for her sons.

I have two preschool boys and they're very well behaved but even so they love jumping, dancing, singing, running around. It's childhood, it's all part and parcel of being a kid.

Your lease company is right. It's part of apartment living. If the neighbours don't like it, they can move. The woman and her kids are entitled to accommodation and i suspect she'd love a house if available but clearly it's not.

If I were in a flat with my three boys, vulnerable and with a distinct lack of choice for accommodation, I know I'd be very grateful for someone giving me the benefit of doubt and letting us stay

[quote EmpressCixi]@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills
Many councils do move homeless people to other cities/ towns actually.

Which is it then? Is the family living where the council forcibly moves them them to, or are they “choosing” to live in London and the council has to pay? You cannot have it both ways.[/quote]
I doubt the council chose to house them somewhere so expensive…
Temporary accommodation is normally one room with a shared bathroom and no cooking facilities!

Londonr-

Many Grenfell residents refused the housing they were offered.

Empress-

Why would I do that? Wouldn’t do any good.

No one should be having 3 children anyway due to overpopulation.

We could reduce homelessness and end the housing crisis easily if we just reduce the birth rate.

The woman sounds like a complete moron.

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills

My jaw is literally on the floor with what you're saying.

Where is your humanity and compassion? You must be deeply unhappy to feel so bitter about a single mum and her young sons "getting" to stay in London.

AllTheUsernames-

I am a worker in the emergency services actually

doubt the council chose to house them somewhere so expensive…
Temporary accommodation is normally one room with a shared bathroom and no cooking facilities!

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills

There are different types of temporary accommodation. Some are self contained. Temporary accommodation is also very expensive. Try 700 a week.

[quote FriendshipsAreHardForMe]@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills

My jaw is literally on the floor with what you're saying.

Where is your humanity and compassion? You must be deeply unhappy to feel so bitter about a single mum and her young sons "getting" to stay in London.[/quote]
Where is your ‘empathy’ and ‘compassion’ for all the people that work hard, all hours, don’t have kids (can’t afford them) and still can only afford to live in a crappy flatshare???

People like this woman are making the situation worse.

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills

AllTheUsernames-

I am a worker in the emergency services actually

Do you judge which people deserve your help when you’re at work or is that reserved only for basic human needs such as shelter?

@Londonr

*doubt the council chose to house them somewhere so expensive… Temporary accommodation is normally one room with a shared bathroom and no cooking facilities!*

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills

There are different types of temporary accommodation. Some are self contained. Temporary accommodation is also very expensive. Try 700 a week.

I know temporary accommodation is very expensive-

But the point I’m trying to make is that its not meant to be comfortable, so people should only ask as a last resort, not play the system because it is a quicker way to get a council/ HA house.

Where is your ‘empathy’ and ‘compassion’ for all the people that work hard, all hours, don’t have kids (can’t afford them) and still can only afford to live in a crappy flatshare???

People like this woman are making the situation worse

Your logic is flawed.

This woman and her children will now have to be rehomed. This flat will now be empty. That’s two properties off the market.

Poor people are not the reason you cannot afford your own home. You cannot afford to live in London because rich people buy all the property and leave them empty or rent them out at extortionate prices.

AllTheUsernames-

I’m not judging which people deserve help-

I’m saying the only way to end the housing crisis is to reduce the birth rate.

People should not be encouraged to get pregnant.

But the point I’m trying to make is that its not meant to be comfortable, so people should only ask as a last resort, not play the system because it is a quicker way to get a council/ HA house

Erm people in temporary accommodation are there for (years) people can't just ask to go into temporary accommodation. The council look into their situation and make sure the family have not made themselves homeless.