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?

Why haven’t you or your agent been doing regular checks to see that everything is OK?

I’m sure it’s been suggested already, but after the first dozen suggestions about gas safety checks and carbon monoxide alarms I stopped reading the thread. Requesting a police welfare check is appropriate in this situation. This is somebody who’s a friend and one who lives in the same building as you: you haven’t seen them around in weeks, their phone isn’t connecting for calls, they haven’t responded to you knocking on the door or putting a note through, and they aren’t replying to messages. It’s less risky, both for your safety if somebody else is living there and in terms of the legalities of being a landlord who has decided to just let themselves in - particularly since, if nobody is home when you go in, you’re going to be no closer to finding out what the situation is and can’t just keep on letting yourself in on the guise of an “emergency” or “inspection.”

I hope you have an up to date electricity certificate. Not needed as regularly as gas but still essential.

I hope the outcome will be ok for you op... Looking forward to the update 👀 👀 👀

Just shamelessly place marking as I want to know the ending of this one... sorry!

Hope there is a reasonable explanation tomorrow op

Yes, OP has already said, multiple times, that they do have an in date electrical certificate

Requesting a police welfare check sounds a good idea!

Just checking in to see if you are ok and to see if anyone has suggested that you should have the right certificates!

There's some proper Miss Marples on this thread.

😂

Going in today?

May be totally innocent and she may just have a new man and not want to leave the flat - The no contact seems a bit off though, I would make sure you take someone with you when you do go to enter the flat just in case

I hope when you pop in this morning you cheerily call out to whoever is in there "landlady - hope you got my note! Just popping in to do the annual gas checks!!"

🤣🤣🤣.

😁

There is no gas ... read the thread!

🤣 This thread is craaaaazy!

Hope it goes well this morning, OP.

The crazy people on this thread have given me a right giggle this morning. God some people need to get out more

This is actually repeated in so many threads. It’s good to have a laugh about it because if I let my inner rage out I’d be 😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬 at every single person. Laughing is slightly better for you blood pressure wise I think.

Funny cat videos on YouTube ThisIsMyYear, always calm me down. CaD Cats do some hilarious videos.

I'm not going to mention gas or electricity certificates 😂 but another point most posters seem to be missing is that a tenant who solely occupies the demise is entitled to "quiet enjoyment" at law. This includes the landlord not being permitted to enter unless for an essential safety reason (or court ordered repossession).

So even if the tenancy agreement "permits" the LL to enter and inspect with 24 hours notice, if the tenant says no you may not enter then the LL cannot because the quiet enjoyment right trumps the inspection right. A tenant can also change the locks provided they are changed back (or all keys given to LL) at the end of the term.

My point is in response to the posters who seem to expect the OP to be some sort of social worker regularly going in to check in her tenant's living arrangements and wellbeing.

I do get that if there has been a sublet in breach of the lease then that will be actionable (repossession) but the gathering of evidence needs a careful approach.

Hopefully if the tenant has not objected to the inspection, OP can go in and get the measure of the situation about who is actually living there.

Good luck OP.

Any news on this yet?