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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Complaint from neighbour re my tenant

120 replies

Belinda5 · 27/12/2023 21:45

I own an apartment that I let out through an agency. I've just had a message from someone in the block complaining that they've had the police knocking on the door today trying to get in touch with my current tenant and asking questions about his movements. This neighbour is saying he's been a nuisance for a while, is on drugs and they've made several complaints to the management company and I need to be more careful about who I let my property to as I'm putting other tenants at risk. Apart from one communication from the management company saying he was causing disturbance at night time, and smoking in communal areas I knew nothing about this. It's really upset me and has ruined a lovely evening with my extended family.
AIBU to think this neighbour shouldn't have texted me like that out of the blue. I will follow up tomorrow but am really shaken at being accused of putting other people at risk. I have handed the letting out of my apartment to an agency and have no say or decision over who it is let out to.

OP posts:
SD1978 · 28/12/2023 04:21

Their text obviously comes from a place of frustration. They've followed up with the letting agency and they have done nothing and haven't informed you. They have finally reached out to you. Whilst I can understand that you didn't knowingly put anyone at risk. They obviously feel like they are, and have had no luck with escalating it so far.

YireosDodeAver · 28/12/2023 04:32

Apart from one communication from the management company saying he was causing disturbance at night time, and smoking in communal areas I knew nothing about this

Failing to investigate the antisocial behaviour at this point, followed by taking steps to resolve including thanking the neighbours for keeping you informed and encouraging them to report if the as behaviour continues, letting the tenant know that eviction will be served if there are any furher incidents. You didn't do this - that was the point when you started knowingly putting people at risk by letting the tenant know that they could get away with whatever they wanted with no consequences. You could have started eviction proceedings weeks (months?) ago.

Ambi · 28/12/2023 04:33

You have received the complaint, now you need to investigate its veracity and action it as per the anti social/ behaviour clause which you must have in the lease.
Fun being a Landlord isn't it?

Xoxoxoxoxoxox · 28/12/2023 04:47

You should be grateful to the neighbour for alerting you to the situation, if you can evict the guy relatively quickly it might save you £1000’s in property damage.

Redglitter · 28/12/2023 04:53

It's really upset me and has ruined a lovely evening with my extended family

If the poor neighbour has got to the stage of dealing with the Police and messaging you I expect they've had more than their fair share of 'ruined lovely evenings'

Stop making it about you & address the problems

Tallerandtall · 28/12/2023 05:41

@Belinda5

its the way you wrote it ruined your night made you look very self centred

if you don’t want this hassle sell the apartment

otherwise sort the mess
imagine living next to such a person day in day out
also fire your letting agency for being terrible

FiveShelties · 28/12/2023 05:41

Belinda5 · 27/12/2023 21:55

It was the part about putting other people in the building at risk that upset me. I have not knowingly put anyone at risk.

Didn't you say you knew that there had been disturbances at night and he was smoking in communal areas?

Did you just think he would stop?

Pipou · 28/12/2023 05:49

I can't believe I'm reading this. OP, you need to stop being so precious and deal with your responsibility. You should be grateful to the neighbour for letting you know.

I'm also a landlord and I had a complaint about a tenant when out for my birthday. My first priority was to listen to the complaint and address it. The fact it was my birthday was irrelevant to the person on the receiving end of the bad behaviour. Grow up OP.

Inyourwildestdreams · 28/12/2023 06:02

Personally, I’d be grateful to the neighbour for letting me know what was going on! (Although it seems like you had been informed of some antisocial behaviour previously!)

In your situation, I’d be apologising to the neighbour and thanking them for bringing it to your attention as your agency hadn’t, asking to have a phonecall with the neighbour to see what’s actually going on in the building, going to the agency and going through what ever steps are necessary to get the tenant out of the property.
Obviously the neighbours are having an awful time if they’ve felt the need to come to you and the police are involved!
When was the last time that your property was inspected? I’d be concerned about potential damage with a tenant like that too!

GreatGateauxsby · 28/12/2023 06:07

Apart from one communication from the management company saying he was causing disturbance at night time, and smoking in communal areas

ANYONE who is doing this and thinks this is okay is antisocial and problematic.
They are going to be a nightmare to share a block with.

YABVU to do nothing beyond "be upset".

You clearly have shit agents who are doing a poor job (IME they probably had multiple complaints before sharing one lousy communication with you).
YOU are ultimately responsible as you are their boss. If they aren't filtering tenants and managing the property well it IS your problem.

Evict and relet.
I feel for your neighbours.

FuckinghellthatsUnbelievable · 28/12/2023 06:18

I think they are behaving perfectly normally. We had a student hmo set up above us once and they were really noisy. Letting agent fobbed us off. Then we had water coming through bathroom ceiling, they fobbed us off again. Bathroom ceiling fell in and we hunted out landlord and sent them a letter with photos of damage.

He came around apologised. Organised someone to fix bathroom seals in his flat and repaired ceiling in ours. Read riot act over noise.

Letting agents often only communicate about money as they don’t give a toss about the neighbours.

Ginmonkeyagain · 28/12/2023 06:43

Your tenant has already broken your lease (noise and smoking in communal areas) and your freeholder has alerted you. This means you have broken the lease as you have allowed someone to stay in your flat who is breaching the lease. So you are already in trouble.

Communal areas in flats are also defined as enclosed public spaces so it is actually illegal to smoke in them.

Oblomov23 · 28/12/2023 06:46

What? Of course she should text you. And you have put them at risk if the tenant is unsavoury. Do something asap.

Flatandhappy · 28/12/2023 06:53

You sound like the worst kind of landlord!

CandidClarisse · 28/12/2023 07:06

If the letting is through an agency then how did the neighbour get your number to contact you direct? I thought the whole idea was the agency dealt with everything, I think you should consider a new agency as this one has selected a bad Tennant and not dealt with any issues.

Goldcrestonabranch · 28/12/2023 07:14

you are annoyed with the neighbour who texted? how about being livid with the lowlife you let the flat to?

CwmYoy · 28/12/2023 07:21

Ginmonkeyagain · 28/12/2023 06:43

Your tenant has already broken your lease (noise and smoking in communal areas) and your freeholder has alerted you. This means you have broken the lease as you have allowed someone to stay in your flat who is breaching the lease. So you are already in trouble.

Communal areas in flats are also defined as enclosed public spaces so it is actually illegal to smoke in them.

Edited

OP isn't in trouble at all. Stop scaremongering.

The agent needs to deal with the tenant. That's what they are paid for. The other residents should not be contacting OP.

If the behaviour is dangerous then they need the police.

urbanbuddha · 28/12/2023 07:23

Belinda5 · 27/12/2023 21:55

It was the part about putting other people in the building at risk that upset me. I have not knowingly put anyone at risk.

And now you know, thanks to the concerned neighbour, you’ll be able to do something about it.

ilovelamp82 · 28/12/2023 07:27

Maybe so. But now the neighbour is informing you, so now you do know that they are at risk and are asking you to intervene. Ruined your evening, really?? Have you any idea what it's like to live next to stressful neighbours. Chances are they have been through alot to get to the point that they've contacted you directly.

autienotnaughty · 28/12/2023 07:32

Ultimately this is your responsibility be annoyed at your letting agency for not keeping you in the loop but the neighbour is clearly at the end of their tether and had contacted you as a last resort. Now you know you can resolve it. And maybe keep a closer eye on your rentals going forward

Londonrach1 · 28/12/2023 07:37

You the ll you caused the problem by not vetting the tenant well enough. We had a similar problem in the house next door but one to us. The neighbours and I didn't know the ll and the agent didn't care. Poor female tenant was being beaten by her partner....we had the police over lots of time until finally he went too far and was taken away. The neighbours and I all know each other and offered her support but she refused to talk to us. Luckily the situation was resolved and she was collected by her family but we then had a druggie in the house...he left after a year. The new people seem lovely so hoping they stay. Everyone in our street knows each other and puts bins out for each other etc. we all wish it stops being a rental.

Londonrach1 · 28/12/2023 07:37

Ruining your evening lucky you...wish we only had one evening ruined on our road. You need to step up and deal with this. Your poor neighbours sound fed up of this.

Unwisebutnotillegal · 28/12/2023 08:05

You need to sell up or deal with the agent. It’s your responsibility and I feel really sorry for the neighbours who have helped you and deserve thanks !

Ginmonkeyagain · 28/12/2023 08:07

@CwmYoy I am the director of resident owned freehold company and we would take a very very dim view of a leaseholder continuing to let out a flat to a tenant who smoked in the corridors and caused serious noise nuisance. Especially if we had already warned them about the behaviour. We have in the past billed landlords for mess or damage caused by their tenants.

Flat owners are responsible for the guests and tenants in their flat complying with the terms of their lease.

hellsBells246 · 28/12/2023 08:10

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 27/12/2023 21:50

The neighbour clearly aren't getting anywhere with the managing agency and if its escalated to the point of police involvement then I think it's fine to message you. I t might nit be your fault but surely you should be aware and so from that point of view they've done you a favour.

And it's just a message so if course its out of the blue, as most contact is...do you think they should have messaged to say they had something to discuss with you or something?

This.