HMO, license to occupy mistake & Covid!

[CliffordMouse]

Just as fun as it sounds in the title.

Mistake was made in licence to occupy meaning instead of 30.06.21 being end of license period, 31.08.21 was written. It also states a total amount to be paid as a license fee over 10 months (as license period should have been 10 months).

DS & 2 housemates living there, all have their own license to occupy agreements and all have this mistake.

They now have confirmed Covid and have been told they have to isolate until 9th July. Told lettings agent who said they would have to charge rent for this additional 9 day period.

Technically, can they get out of paying this? None of us can afford it, and if the license to occupy states they technically are still within the license period surely they can't charge further rent as the only sum specified on the agreement has been paid.

Many thanks in advance for any help!

Difficult to say without seeing the licence but the date sounds like a typographical error if the license period is described as ten months and that end date would make it 12. Bumping in case someone else can offer better advice.

Some interesting points made in this BBC article.

Thank you for the bump! At no point on the licence does it refer to the 10 months. It doesn't acknowledge anywhere that it should be 10. Just says "Licence period: 01.09.20 to 30.06.21".

The problem is that if they argue that the licence ends in August, they could claim that the schedule of payment is wrong and there should be another 2 months to pay.

Why should the landlord be penalised because they have to stay in the property for another 9 days?

@vivainsomnia So legally, surely the lettings agent is therefore obligated to pay the landlord? As it is their mistake.