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?

IME Landlord/tenant relationships that start off on a bad footing only ever get worse. Untrustworthy behaviour.

Get out of it now

Good luck

QS- how awful for you

Not sure of the legalities of this but could you/agent ring then tomorrow & say your plans/DH's job have changed & you are now possibly coming back & need the house? Given that you've probably lost the deposit anyway?

Good luck -nightmare for you.

Thanks guys, I shall call a lawyer, the previous landlord, and the agency.

How can I get the previous landlord to confirm how many people lived there, without sounding like I am against it? Or without asking direct?
If I know how many lives with her now, I will get a good indication of how many are planning on moving in.

Should I just ask something like "You dont find the neighours complain about noise with 7 people living in the property? " Or something clever?

ooh sneaky- good question QS

Hi QS, hope you managed to sleep well. Just a thought, are the previous references legitimate ones ?

Anybody could have written those references.

Sorry, got a suspicious mind

like your sneaky question plan

Oh no no no no no!! Not for a gold pig would I have a tenant who lied, played the single parent card, then moves in a whole heap of family!! Not happening, you will get shafted, and no doubt complaints from other neighbours, this amount of people in one house will cause you no end of trouble.

Check your position, but I would stop the proceddings right now, and tell her why, along with another viable excuse also, so she cant just say ok, change the names, once tenants are in its not that easy to get rid of them.

This screams troulbe, IMO, move quickly before she gets the keys! Good luck.

I just spoke to the former lettings agency. She lived on the property with her husband and two children. On saturday when my dh saw them, she was adamant that her husband was NOT moving in. Maybe we are in the middle of a family breakup and she is getting support from her family in househunting and moving, and possibly her husband is coming along to see his children settled in their new home??
What to do!?

She sounds troublesome all round QS. I would really try to back out of the contract even if it means a financial loss, better in the long run than all the hassle I think you would have with her

Don't let it to her - it sounds like no end of trouble.

Not for a gold pig cola, like that one, will store it away in the memory banks.

QS your heart does not manage your property, your head does, be strong, its not easy

QS .. when is the move in date, and when did you sign the agreement?

She negotiated the rent down on the basis that she is a single mum with 2 dc and then she said to you she wants the yard repaved at your cost. I'm sorry, to me it sounds like she taking the p*. I would not be too soft hearted here because don't you see that it's a bit one-sided?

Can you still effectively step back from the contract or not, do you know?

Can you talk to your neighbour again? Is there a possibility of misunderstanding? You did say they told him they were all moving in.

I just had a word with one of the legal secretaries at my solicitors, and in her opinon what the tenant gets up to regards to benefit fraud and council tax is really not my concern as long as I get my money every month. However, I am waiting for the actual solicitor to call me back. I have trust in this firm, I have used it both for my private affairs and for my company related issues. They were in the press not long ago regards to a celebrity breakup and allowance colurt case. Cough. Anyway, I shall let it be... and wait for the solicitor to call...

But QS.. if they are done for benefit fraud, and the money stops coming in, and they are living in your house..

In the UK it is hell trying to get out non-rent paying, difficult tenants. Once they are in, they are in. Good luck with the solicitor. Good move.

My concner would be raised by the fact that she is chopping and changing with regard to the furniture requierments. If she really were a newly single mum, she would be just pleased with getting sorted in new accommodation.

If you decide not to pull out, I owuld be very strict with waht you are going to od: ie the furntiure remains as per the agreement and not give permission to got any outside work.

She can take it or leave it.

You might want to increase the number of ispections and specify that all rooms need to be checked.

I originally signed the agreement on the 15th May. Then I resigned it a few days ago as I decided to let my company (uk based) be the landlord rather than me (overseas). But the contract specifies the furniture she wants removed: Double Bed, Kitchen Table and chairs, Dining Table and one sofa. She has changed her mind, and wants to remove: One sofa, Kitchen Table and Chairs and the Fridge. So, she is keeping the tables and the double bed, chucking out the fridge, the sofa and kitchen chairs.

This means the contract needs at least amending, as I guess I would be in breach of contract by removing different items as is in the contract.

I'm not an expert, but haven't there been cases on MN where landlords have been chased by the government for money because the tentant was committing fraud? Might be worth a check.
I would not took this woman with a barge pole. If she is lying about this, what else will she lie about?

Agree with the others - better to make a bit of a financial loss now(however much it hurts & is needed) than expensive legal fees now plus damage repairs o the house.

Leave it up to the agent to do the dirty work that's what they're paid for!

Its much harder to evict somebody on housing benefit than somebody who isnt.

I really hope your solicitor comes up with the goods and you can get out of the agreement.

What does your instinct tell you? Do you feel uneasy or is this more about getting a more fair renumeration? She sounds really horrid; playing on your heart strings by pretending to be a single mum and then happy to lie to you. You cant trust this person, she sounds very devious; also, if she couldnt afford it, why not look for a smaller house? Get rid ASAP!

Crikey, Qs.
Get out of this any way you can.
I am a tenant and have a good relationship with my landlady, I would never consider doing anything other than treat this house as my own property and look after it accordingly.
In my previous property we were pretty much shafted by the agents, and I actually went round to the house after we left and spoke to the owner, he was just as shafted from what I can gather so a good agent is very important.

QS the fact alone that she has now decided to keep the double bed would reinforce that she is probably having others live there!

Yes, Cov. I agree with the poster who said she probably wanted to move all this furniture to make room for the bed. I just spoke to the agent who said she would take advice from the legal department, and also call the tenant to clarify the following:

1. the tenant should not have made contact direct with us

2 the tenant should not start renegotiating the furniture arrangements 3 the tenant has no authority to make alterations to the house and make such demands 4 why is she moving more people into the house when she has specifically stated it is only going to be her with her two children and got a discount for that

I told the agent I am taking legal advice (from the prestigeous firm across the road from them) as I expect their legal department look out for Unaned Estate Agent rather than me, but will obviously be keen to hear what they have to say.

I will now await calls from both solicitor and estate agent too see what they have to say.

Thanks all for your thoughts, commments and support so far.