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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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?

344 replies

QuintessentialShadows · 08/06/2008 21:05

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?

OP posts:
Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 08/06/2008 22:20

Thanks all. I will re-read the contract now, and will google a local property lawer and might take advice tomorrow if I get no luck with the agency.

OP posts:
clam · 08/06/2008 22:21

So, Annh, what on earth is the point of all the rules and regs in the tenancy agreement if people can do what they did (or may have done) in yours and get away with it? I mean, fgs...

whispywhisp · 08/06/2008 22:22

QS - what does your DH say about all this? He's in London at the moment isn't it but going away tomorrow night? What does he want to do?

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 08/06/2008 22:27

I have not spoken to him in detail. The tenant told him it would be her, her mum and two kids living there. So we do have the tenants word that there WILL be ONE more adult living there who is not in the contract. He did not respond to this as he did not have the contract handy and I have been dealing with it all.

He said to me to not go ahead with letting the property out unless we get a rent increase as more people will live there, and clarify WHO will live there. I will call him in a moment.

OP posts:
annh · 08/06/2008 22:29

Clam, I wondered the same thing myself! Over the years we had several sets of tenants but the first lot were the worst. When they left (without giving the proper notice and leaving the place in such a state that it required a £600 clean-up!) the agent called one of the tenants to say that we were going to take them to the Small Claims Court and that a judgement would affect their credit rating, he said that it didn't matter because he couldn't get a credit card anyway due to an already poor rating! At which point I wondered what the point of the agent supposedly running credit checks on prospective tenants was?? And why we pay so much to agents in the first place?

clam · 08/06/2008 22:31

Did you keep back the deposit, to pay for repairs, annh? Or did the agents find a way to wriggle out of that one too?

clam · 08/06/2008 22:34

Actually, we copped both ways when we let ours and rented another property once. Left ours immaculate and arrived at a tip. Left there immaculate and returned to, well, not exactly a tip, but grubby carpets, windows, oven etc.. all of which were supposed to be professionally handled, as per the agreement. We were 'fined' at our rental place, but couldn't claim back from our tenants because blah, blah, blah.... Lost faith in the whole process then.

whispywhisp · 08/06/2008 22:34

How many adults are you happy to have living there QS? I don't know much about rented properties (does it show?!) but should it just be the woman plus her kids who initially move in how do you check up later just to make sure she's not got more of her family living there too? Is that the job of the agents?

VaginaShmergina · 08/06/2008 22:35

Your agency should not release the depost annh until a satisfactory check out has been completed and you have signed and returned the paperwork, hopefull any deposit would cover such costs.

QS rent indemnity is another good thing to have, have you told your mortgage company and your building insurance peeps it will now be rented coz that is all affected too.

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 08/06/2008 22:36

Whispy I dont know. This blew up in our face during yesterday and today. I just phoned my neighbour to talk about something else, 10 minutes before the birthday party guests arrived, and she told me. So, I dont really know what to do.

OP posts:
whispywhisp · 08/06/2008 22:39

When are your tenants due to move in?

annh · 08/06/2008 22:39

They had paid one month as deposit but were supposed to give two months notice. Instead they only gave 6 weeks notice and didn't pay the last month's rent so there WAS no money left to pay for cleaning or all the small stuff - phone handset, living room rug, etc which they took with them. However, there were (allegedly) three people living there who had all signed the tenancy agreement and who were jointly and severally liable - meaning we could chase one or all of them for the money. We had contact details for all of them but dh did a bit of background checking on the electoral roll, I think, and issued a summons against all three. Only one acknowledged it and only after it went throught small claims court and jusgement was made against him did he suddenly email my husband with a sob story about how he had moved out, other people (whom we had never heard of) had moved in and they must have caused the damage etc. He also miraculously came up with addresses for them and wanted us to cancel the judgement and chase them instead! Needless to say we didn't, suggested he chase the himself and he had to pay us bck the money - which he did at a rate of bout £100 a month for however long it took. It was not an experience I'd want to repeat but the court procedure was done online, we didn't have to attend and that part was really simple.

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 08/06/2008 22:40

Vagy. I have changed my insurance to a landlords insurance, so that is fine.

Regards to the mortgage, that is different. I have a quote to remortgage on a buy to let term to release some equity (to do my self build here). But I have not completed on the mortgage yet as I dont need the money yet. It is interest only, and much higher than the repayment mortgage I currently have, so I figured I would not complete till I have a tenant in, and possibly not for another few months so enjoy the rent money (pay agency fees, removal agency etc).

Tricky and complicated situation.

OP posts:
Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 08/06/2008 22:42

Another thing is. I have a nightmare neighbour. 5 adults would not be so easily intimidated as ONE person would be. They would not suffer her nonsens gladly.

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VaginaShmergina · 08/06/2008 22:43

Bloody hell QS last thing you need not being here too.

Get on the blower to the Agent and also seek legal advice.

Bloody hell why isn't anything ever easy ?

More fricking stress !

Hope your folks and family are well and you are doing your best to eat that lovely fish pie !!

expatinscotland · 08/06/2008 22:49

that sucks.

our landlords are abroad for two years and we wouldn't dream of altering their house or moving more people in or not paying rent or crap like that.

the owner of this house worked his arse off for years and years as a teacher and headmaster and now he's volunteering to help others abroad. this is his house and his biggest asset, he deserves someone to look after it whilst he's away.

it's a shame people take advantage like this and give the rest of us renters a bad name.

whispywhisp · 08/06/2008 22:50

QS...I really do hope you get to sort this out tomorrow. You're an hour ahead of us...go get some sleep woman - you've had a busy day.....!!! xxx

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 08/06/2008 22:51

(oh and expat I have seen my uncle twice today if you see what I mean, and he did not look happy, which he should, as it was my youngest 3rd birthday party)

OP posts:
Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 08/06/2008 22:52

I know whispy, I must phone dh and go to sleep.

OP posts:
annh · 08/06/2008 22:59

Cheers! Particularly loved the chocolate cupcake, easy to say but try not to worry too much about possible scenarios until you have spoken to the agent tomorrow.

joash · 08/06/2008 23:00

I'd kick them out for breaching the tenancy agreement and start again.

Califrau · 08/06/2008 23:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

expatinscotland · 08/06/2008 23:11

And what if they go on and concrete in that area? Then the council will come after YOU, QS.

She's certainly not going to be bothered by the hassle you will go there getting that sorted out, all she'll do is bitch about it and maybe even demand money off you.

She won't look after it like it's hers because she doesn't care, obviously.

ComeOVeneer · 08/06/2008 23:54

You will get grief and hassle if you pull out now. But it will be sorted. You will have endless and prolonged grief if they have managed to set foot in the house 10 fold.

stuffedaubergine · 08/06/2008 23:55

Yes CoV -- short and sharp but far far better than the alternative.