Halexander
22-10-2009, 17:26 PM
Dear all,
I let a newly converted 2 bedroomed flat to a single tenant (I'll call her Kate to avoid confusion) on 11th July 09 on a 6 month AST (hence expiring 10th Jan 10) through an agent.
The rent is £895pcm and Kate paid 5 months upfront (due to supposedly being self employed and no proof of income) plus a deposit of £1,239.23 which is registered through mydeposits.com
Kate picked up the keys from the agent and then moved in. I later was told by other flats in the building that Kate's boyfriend seemed to be living there too for about 2 months maybe. They were a nice couple according to the neighbours, introduced themselves etc.
However, since that time I have needed access to the flat to test fire alarms etc, but had no response from Kate via the email address or mobile phone number supplied to me by the agent. When the fire alarm testing people knocked on the door of the flat, there were 2 female occupants, neither of which was Kate. One of them said that Kate had taken the tenancy for/with her because she had been living in Spain and didn't have a bank account! But they had since had a falling out and now Kate had gone. She (the new occupant) said she had been meaning to contact the agent to get the tenancy changed into her name! She named the agent by his first name, so clearly she had some knowledge of the agent or intention to do something via the agent.
I understand from the other flats in the building that there are also 2 young men occupying the flat with these 2 women, there are no proper beds, and I am told they are dealing drugs there, lots of cars and visitors coming by buzzing and slamming doors all the time. And lots of giro cheques arriving for them. There have also been daily letters from a local prison, seemingly since Kate may have moved out.
This is of particular concern because I own the other 3 flats in the building and I am worried that I may lose good tenants as a result of this behaviour and occupancy by people I have no idea who they are and who aren't on the Tenancy Agreement. And of course they may not pay the rent when it becomes due in the middle of November. They had also tampered with the smoke detectors in the flat.
So my questions are:
1. Do these people have any right to be there?
2. How do I get them out?
3. What do I have to do?
4. How long will it take?
5. How much will it cost?
6. What is the position with the actual tenant on the TA?
7. Do I have any duty to try to find them? Or do anything?
Many thanks,
Howard
I let a newly converted 2 bedroomed flat to a single tenant (I'll call her Kate to avoid confusion) on 11th July 09 on a 6 month AST (hence expiring 10th Jan 10) through an agent.
The rent is £895pcm and Kate paid 5 months upfront (due to supposedly being self employed and no proof of income) plus a deposit of £1,239.23 which is registered through mydeposits.com
Kate picked up the keys from the agent and then moved in. I later was told by other flats in the building that Kate's boyfriend seemed to be living there too for about 2 months maybe. They were a nice couple according to the neighbours, introduced themselves etc.
However, since that time I have needed access to the flat to test fire alarms etc, but had no response from Kate via the email address or mobile phone number supplied to me by the agent. When the fire alarm testing people knocked on the door of the flat, there were 2 female occupants, neither of which was Kate. One of them said that Kate had taken the tenancy for/with her because she had been living in Spain and didn't have a bank account! But they had since had a falling out and now Kate had gone. She (the new occupant) said she had been meaning to contact the agent to get the tenancy changed into her name! She named the agent by his first name, so clearly she had some knowledge of the agent or intention to do something via the agent.
I understand from the other flats in the building that there are also 2 young men occupying the flat with these 2 women, there are no proper beds, and I am told they are dealing drugs there, lots of cars and visitors coming by buzzing and slamming doors all the time. And lots of giro cheques arriving for them. There have also been daily letters from a local prison, seemingly since Kate may have moved out.
This is of particular concern because I own the other 3 flats in the building and I am worried that I may lose good tenants as a result of this behaviour and occupancy by people I have no idea who they are and who aren't on the Tenancy Agreement. And of course they may not pay the rent when it becomes due in the middle of November. They had also tampered with the smoke detectors in the flat.
So my questions are:
1. Do these people have any right to be there?
2. How do I get them out?
3. What do I have to do?
4. How long will it take?
5. How much will it cost?
6. What is the position with the actual tenant on the TA?
7. Do I have any duty to try to find them? Or do anything?
Many thanks,
Howard