Tenants done a bunk advise please, very upset!!!

SlimDreams

Full Member
Hi guys,
As some of you know i leave this country after living here for 12 years. I fly out on 4th July, Hooray!! and go to friends holiday house in Scotland ,she has given me free of charge, until my house in Abergavenny becomes vacant on the 9th August. I have given my tenants 2 months notice via the agents and they have done a bunk, and moved out on the 15th June without paying June, or Julys rent. They also did not pay Decembers rent because they paid someone to do the garden and felt it was there right to take it out of the rent!!!!!
They pay a bond but have left the house in such a mess that the bond money will have to pay at least half, for the cleaning of the house.
AND to top it ll they have moved to in the same street a few doors down!! I feel so upset, angry ,hurt and really don't know what to do.
In theory they owe 3 months rent 1,650 pounds!!! which i really need. If i take them to court then i will have all the hassle of seeing them every day and the stress that will bring, not sure i can deal with that and coming back and learning everything from new and doing the house up completely. Apparently i have bottle green walls in one room and red in another !!!!!!! I am very cross with the agents but that wont help as i need them to be on my side. they are trying to get the tenant to see reason and at least pay something.
What shall I do i do?????? If I weigh up the emotional cost against the financial cost i feel i should let it go. BUT it is an awful lot of money to let go and i will still have to see these people every day whatever.
Please advise and i am in such a quandary over it ll and haven't slept for the last few nights worrying about it all, especially s i am so fr away and have so much t do here packing up etc. The SW plan is up the creek too!!!
The only good thing that has come out of it is that i can probably move into my house earlier which i would prefer.
Can my lovely cyber Friend's please give me some advice??? haven't a clue what to do and i feel rally awful and have so much to do before i leave here.
In this country we have to paint the complete inside of the house white before we hand it over and am in the process of doing that. Good system though, perhaps UK should adopt this too !!!
 
I have no idea about the legalities.

For me it would be about so much more than the money. The moral issue would be what worries me most.

How dare these people think they can treat you like this and feel immune from any action being taken.

Before you do anything I think you need to contact your agent and see what they know. Also if you are still friendly with any of the other people that live in your road, can you cntact the. I am positive they could help you throw more light on this.

It is them who should be concerned about living close to you, not you that is concerned about living a few doors from them. You can hold your head high. They should be ashamed of themselves.
hug.gif
 
Definitely take them to court, or at least threaten to. Nobody has the right to steal from you, which is essentially what they've done. You did exactly what you had to do in the eyes of the law, you gave them their notice, even after they had underpaid their rent in December!

When I rented a house, we had to leave it in exactly the same condition as when we moved in - we did no crazy decorating! So you are entitled to use their bond money to put it right if they refuse to.

Small claims court, definitely.
 
Hear, hear and well said. Why should they get away with it !!!
 
I know you are both so right just not sure if i can face it all.
Does anyone know what the procedure is for that. And what if he has no money and cant pay??
 
I'm not sure what to suggest with you being abroad until next month. Maybe wait until you've got back and go to your local Citizens' Advice Bureau, they may be able to point you in the right direction. Sometimes solicitors will give you a free initial meeting.

It may be better to try and reclaim the money through another means, like arbitration.

Try this link for information: Making a Claim
 
That's really awful. How can people treat another person's property like that.

Google for 'uk court service making a claim' and you should find the relevant information from the courts. We've done it before using those forms and information.

Good luck!

ETA: Ahhh, I see Fillymum beat me to it and provided the link :)
 
Thanks will do some research into it. You are both right. I should not let them get away with it, just such a hassle with everything else to do
 
Hi there

We currently let our house out in the UK and and have had a few problems -but if someone did that to us, I wouldn't care If I had to live next door to them -I would take them through the small claims court.

Your Letting agent should know the procedure and also should get it started for you (or at least provide you with the information about what to do)-afterall that is why you pay them to manage the property!
It may well be that in the end, if they don't have the whole amount to pay in a lump -then they will have to pay a small amount a month -again -even if its spread over years, it isn't great -but the little sods will still have to pay -also it will then go against them when they try to move again as the next landlord will do a background check and not touch them with a barge pole ;)
I wouldn't let anyone touch the property until the agent or you have been in and got plenty of photos to back you up(even the smallest thing -photograph it all). Did the agents get photos of the property before it was let and an inventory list? If not then it makes things more difficult.
I hope things work out...
 
Have you still got the contact(tennacy agreement) they signed ?

and is it up to date from the time they left/u gave notice?

if you have this then take them too court hun that is your proof!!

if you havnt then unfortunity its your word against theirs!!
 
thanks. We have all the relevant information. I have just spoken to my lovely next door neighbour who tells me they are very unpleasant people to deal with. Great hey ho.
Will go to Citizens advice when i get back.
Have found out they are living next door but one .What a lovely home coming for me !!!!
 
If you are worried about how they might react to you demanding they pay you what is rightfully yours, maybe consider going to your local police station and explaining the situation.

At least then if anything does kick off you can tell them that you warned them in advance.
 
People like this give other renters a bad name!!!!! I rent and treat every home I live in as if I had bought it myself, and I would never dream of doing this to anyone and as for not paying in dec cos of the garden...... hmpffffff

It will no doubt be a hassle and you may not get any money back however despite this I would still take them to court. It may stop them from doing this to someone else, I would also (cos I am a nasty so and so sometimes) be inclined to contact their current landlord and ask about references and if they want any and then proceed to tell the entire truth so they are fully aware of the circumstances! toss pots!

Good luck with it and sending hugs x
 
Good point avisk. The agents have a huge part to play in this and i have told them ,rightly or wrongly, that they might be taken to court as well. Really feel afraid to live next but one to these people even though i know i am in the right. Wish it would all go away. I am letting it spoil my excitement of going home.
 
Listen to Avisk, she is a mine of useful and really factual information.

She is right, look to your agents,

xxx
 
Thanks . I am leaving it with the agents to sort out for now. Maybe they will be able to do so. I believe if i am in the country i have to make the claim with the small claims court myself but if i was still overseas the agents would send a representative for me.
Still trying to separate my feelings form the practical side of the situation. Still don't fancy living next door but one to them whatever the outcome is.
 
Letting agencies seem to get money for nothing! The apartment Im in is with an agency, the last tenant did a runner, leaving some damage. She didnt get her deposit back either. My landlord had some really strong words with the agency about the way they handled it. Its in my contract that they do checks of the premsises every few months.... they havent been near the place once. They dont seem to have learned from the last fiasco.

Your tenants are either not too bright or think theyre untouchable if they only moved 2 doors away
 
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