If my tenant has negotiated a lower rent because she is a single mum of 2 she should not move in her entire extended family?

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She negotiated her rent down, as she was just her and her two kids. Ideal quiet tenant, long term let.

So, a whole gang of people surprised my dh at the house when he went to London to have a final look prior to tenant moving in.

My other neighbour down the road got talking to them ( same ethnicity) and they said they were ALL moving in. Mum and her two children, her husband, her brother, her mum and her dad.... Only mum is named on the contract and the contract stays that nobody else can live there aside from named tenant.

Where do I stand? Can I demand higher rent bearing in mind wear and tear of appliances etc? With three working grown ups living there, surely they can afford it?

I wouldn't bother. Just stop this agreement now, before she gets hold of the keys.

Everything about this situation makes me uneasy.
Tbh, you'd be mad to give her the keys.

We agreed to lower the rent for her because our house had been on the market for over 2 months, and as she was single with 2 kids (as opposed to 4 sharing students) would mean a quiet profesional woman with 2 kids were less likely to trash the place. And on only one salary, we figured we could agree.

I would put my foot down and refuse to let them move in. If the tennancy states only named persons can live there you are in the right. TBH I doubt they would bother contesting you, but if they are already in the house it would become a long drawn out headache you could do without.

No she has no right to move in everyone. It's all on the table and up to you to negotiate.

Every tenant should sign the tenants agreement and they are all liable for the rent if there is a default.

If every tenant does not sign the tenants' agreement you are opening the door to squatters. If she leaves, and the others don't, and you have no agreement with them, you have a battle on your hands.

Sorry I don't have time to read what everyone else has said and I'm sorry if I'm repeating.

If other adults are going to live in the house they must sign the tenants' agreement.

I mean, she's not even paying the market rate as it is, if she's negotiated a discount on account of being single . And there are going to be 5 adults there, plus the kids!!! What a nerve!

You could call and ask that. Or you could just drop them altogether at this stage. I would be v concerned about the lies.

Well, no matter why, I wouldn't bother now.

I'd take the students because they usually have guarantors.

At any rate, I doubt they'd move extended family in or lie about their marital status.

I'd be willing to bet she's lying to the council about it, too, and then the council will be turning to you to find her once she's caught for benefits fraud.

NO WAY I'd rent to this gal.

Get out now.

Don't do it QS. Or insist they all sign the agreement. If they are all liable for benefits, housing benefit, whatever, you can get the rent back up. If they don't like it let them go. It is your house and your security for the future.

Do not let adults live in your house who have not signed the tenants' agreement. I am worried about this!

SO, I shall ask that all adults who intend to move in should sign the agreement and pay the going rate, or get lost, basically?

Tell them to get lost.

Tell them to get lost or make them all sign. They may get lost of their own accord. Don't hand over the keys until this is cleared up.

I'm a landlord and have been in this situation, it's an absolute sod. People living there who do NOT pay the rent and have NO stake in the deposit have no care for someone else's property.

QS if she is already lying to you, I would have lost all trust in her if it was me tbh. I know you want the place rented but really I can see this going horribly wrong. I would cut my loses and get the agent to readvertise the property. You will be constantly fretting about the house/rent/getting them out at the end of the lease etc etc.

You will get another tenant. A month's void is better than a year of grief and worry.

If you are at the latest stages, have you already signed the agreement?

As I said, would you really be happy even if they did pay more rent? 7 people living in your house?

QS - how can you still even consider this tenant???

What expat said. She's broken the tenancy agreement before she's even moved in. If she'll lie to you about this, she'll lie about other things. Not worth the hassle. When tenancies go wrong, they go badly wrong. It would be daft to ignore a red flag this big at the outset.

The thing is, suppose she swears blind to the agent that it's just her and the kids. How will you prove otherwise until it's too late?

I think you are right.

She was a right hassle at the house yesterday. Initially she wanted us to remove the kitchen table and the dining table and chairs, one sofa and one double bed. This was in the contract that we should move out. She came with her entire family, wanted to keep the tables (but not the chairs) and the bed, but not the sofa, not the chest of drawers, the bookshelves the fridge freezer, etc. My dh had 2 days at the house to finalise things and then she turns up with her entourage. Fuzzy like a right old mare, insist my dh mow the lawn.

She even had the nerve to ask if she can arrange for somebody to come and reconcrete and put new paving in front of the house (16 square meters) and send us the bill, fgs!

Too much hassle.

Face it QS she is trying to pull a swift one. She has absolutely no respect for you, and so how do you think she is likely to treat the property. Being out of the country etc it is just going to be a total nightmare.

The agreement is signed. Yes. She has paid depost and first months rent, the first months rent has gone towards my bill with the agent.