Debt collection letters

[Millymollywoo]

My daughter moved in to a rented flat in sept 2024. There were dozens of letters from an energy company with an outstanding bill of over £1k.

She rang the company and informed them when she moved in and actually has her energy supply with them she didn’t know the former tenants and to contact the letting agent for any further details.

Thus has carried on and today she received a letter from a debt collection agency she’s taken it in to the letting agents who’ve told her they contacted the previous tenants and they said they arnt going to pay !
what else can she do?
the letters aren’t addressed to anyone just the occupants.

just ignore. Eventually they will arrive at her door. Make sure she has her rental agreement and proof if ID to hand to show them it’s nothing to do with her. Then at least they won’t chase her for the debt. Can’t offer any other ideas as frustrating as it is.

Thanks it’s very frustrating on the plus side tennis y up in June and she’s moving out

I would return the letter to sender or contact the enforcement agents. They need to be advised that they have left.

I never show id to bailiffs unless from court. Iirc the advice is not to do so. They have no right to demand that.

I opened all letters like that and sent emails to the companies with contact for the agent and signed "Kind regards, New tenant".
It stopped.

I had similar when I moved into my current property 12 years ago. Debt collection person showed up at the door. I just showed him my tenancy agreement. Not heard anything since. Still get previous tenant's TV licence every year though.....

She has contacted the energy company via email and copied the letting agent in.

If it's with debt collectora the energy company will do nothing really

She contacted the energy company several times before the debt was passed to the debt collectors who acknowledged it wasn’t her debt she did ask why letters were still being sent to her adress -addressed to the occupants when she’s told them several times she lives there and has no idea who the previous tenants are and has pointed them in the direction of the letting agents each time who do hold this information

The debt's not in her name; it's not her problem.

She should ignore the letters but watch her mail carefully in case anybody tries to enforce either by sending collection agents around or (unlikely) starts a court claim.

If her tenancy ends in the summer and she's not renewing then she'll be out of it anyway.

If it's fuel bills is she sure her meter readings and billing is correct.

Debts are sold from one company to another for ever decreasing fractions of their value which is why those you think have gone away keep coming back again.