AIBU to think my tenant might be subletting

[landladywithmissingtenant]

I live in a flat in a large block (60 flats in all) I own the one I live in and one other, which I rent out.
I used to see my tenant now and again, probably twice a month or so but I have realised that I haven't seen her in about a year or more. My daughter lives nearby and also used to bump into her quite a lot at the local shop and she says she hasn't seen her in ages either.
She's a retired single lady and it's a single occupancy studio flat.
The other day I was locked out of the main building and I rang her buzzer to ask if she wouldn't mind letting me back in and a man answered and buzzed me in before I'd finished my sentence.
I tried the buzzer again the next day and no-one answered.
Am I being unreasonable to think she might have left the flat and be subletting it? or something more sinister?
And WIBU to go and knock on her door and see if she's there? I'm worried I might come across as harassing her. And what do I say if she answers?

Of course you should check out exactly who is in your property if you have any doubts.

Knock and say you want to do a yearly/six month check?

Yes you need to check your property but also see if she is ok

I would check. If the same man is still there, does he know her? Is she okay?

Yes, of course, I can’t believe it’s gone a year without you checking in on your tenant. I would say you want to do an inspection and check on a few things for repairs. That’s the more formal bit. But absolutely do go round and knock because a random person answered the buzzer.

I cant believe your first thought is subletting and not "maybe something happened to this old woman"

Inspection time.

I said retired, not old.

Why would a retired person bother subletting?

same reason anyone might

Possibly to keep the housing benefit

I also rent it at housing benefit rates (much cheaper than actual market rate) so she could be pocketing the housing benefit she gets from it, subletting it at market rate, and pocketing the difference.

While she's moved in with a boyfriend or gone travelling or something

she could have been cuckood. It’s a very real thing

I assume you don't use a letting agency but don't you want to inspect your property at least annually?

You're supposed to give at least 24 hours notice. Which in reality might mean the subletter contacts her and she's in that day. But if you left it 48 hours, you'd be legally OK and she wouldn't be.....

I was friends with her at first when I first letted it to her. I trusted her, she's a nice lady, bit quirky, likes to be left to do her own thing. I purchased it as a fixer-upper, decorated it as requested by her and let it to her at HB rates so she would be able to afford it. She's always kept it nice and we worked on a mutual trust kind of relationship, I never felt the need to inspect it. But over the years we've drifted apart, we don't socialise. I really should have done checks.

Well as a first step how about going to knock on her front door? Maybe you'll hear something

That's what I'm thinking but what do I say if she comes to the door?
"I thought you might be illegally subletting my property"?

But now I see from this thread that "I need to do an inspection" is the obvious answer.

Yes, you should do checks.
Perhaps raise the rent and consider putting it in the hands of a letting agent.

Surely you have access for things like gas checks?

Yeah or since you were friends, just say you realised its been a long time since you caught up and just wanted to make sure everything's okay with the flat

No gas. All electric

Be truthful. What is wrong with I haven’t seen you around for a while and wondered if you were okay

Surely you have access for electric checks? EICR etc?

Does it have an electricity safety certificate? They last for 5 years though, so you may not be due one yet.

check if she is ok. Knock again and ask for her -
say you realised you hadn’t seen her around and wanted to check in .