caveman Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Hi, we rented out our house last year after living there happily for many years. The heating was via Solid Fuel Aga and open fire in the lounge. We found this perfect for us and our children. The t took on the property with this in place and was apparantly experienced in using it. We spoon fed the t as they couldn't get to grips with the controls, we even chopped wood for their open fire! They moaned so much we agreed rightly or wrongly to put a oil fired boiler. In February they elected to turn of the aga and use electric heaters? We made several attempts to employ specialists to fit a boiler quickly but few and far between they are, nobody wanted to take on the job until after christmas. Experienced in most things we began doing the work ourselves after agreeing the commissioning by an expert, this is being done over several weeks as we are committed elsewhere work wise. We also put a velux window in for them at their request. The property is old, but was 100% redecorated 1 year ago with new carpet also. The kitchen was replaced with a £20,000 refit three years ago. The bathroom also is new. They have moaned about everything to the door handle being slightly loose to only having one key to the front door, which is about two hundred years old! Any tradesmen that did go in didn't want to go back because he was such a pest, watching them work, ringing them, etc. The t messaged me two days before the rent was due saying that they couldn't afford to pay. We requested that they bring the rent to date within two weeks. They have now decided to leave and said that we have to use their deposit as rent, how does this work. They have completely redecorated the property with garish colours and have actually painted the tiles in the bathroom black, badly! The gardens are a mess with rubbish etc and the remote for the garage door is lost. They don't actually want to leave until the middle of January. I have sent a notice to quit giving them seven days on top of the previous two weeks to bring their rent up to date or vacate? Where do I go from here, go easy on me I'm a complete novice!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTWIN Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 If they are on housing benifit as soon as they are 1 month and 1 day in arrears tell the council you want money paid direct to yourself which they have to do. If you dont know (remember they could be getting it even if they are working) phone benifits dept they may tell you but you have to put your request in writing to recieve payment, ASAP. As soon as they are 1month and 1 day in arrears serve section 8 notice (correctly, very important) deliver one by hand and make separate note of date, time, by whom etc and one by post but get proof of postage. Start to collate info on the tenants if you can such as car reg numbers, date of birth, national insurance numbers, place of work, next of kin, maiden names, relations. This is the sort of info a debt collection agency will need if you decide to go down this route. Follow up section 8 with a section 21 serve the same way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caveman Posted November 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Hi, we rented out our house last year after living there happily for many years. The heating was via Solid Fuel Aga and open fire in the lounge. We found this perfect for us and our children. The t took on the property with this in place and was apparantly experienced in using it. We spoon fed the t as they couldn't get to grips with the controls, we even chopped wood for their open fire! They moaned so much we agreed rightly or wrongly to put a oil fired boiler. In February they elected to turn of the aga and use electric heaters? We made several attempts to employ specialists to fit a boiler quickly but few and far between they are, nobody wanted to take on the job until after christmas. Experienced in most things we began doing the work ourselves after agreeing the commissioning by an expert, this is being done over several weeks as we are committed elsewhere work wise. We also put a velux window in for them at their request. The property is old, but was 100% redecorated 1 year ago with new carpet also. The kitchen was replaced with a £20,000 refit three years ago. The bathroom also is new. They have moaned about everything to the door handle being slightly loose to only having one key to the front door, which is about two hundred years old! Any tradesmen that did go in didn't want to go back because he was such a pest, watching them work, ringing them, etc. The t messaged me two days before the rent was due saying that they couldn't afford to pay. We requested that they bring the rent to date within two weeks. They have now decided to leave and said that we have to use their deposit as rent, how does this work. They have completely redecorated the property with garish colours and have actually painted the tiles in the bathroom black, badly! The gardens are a mess with rubbish etc and the remote for the garage door is lost. They don't actually want to leave until the middle of January. I have sent a notice to quit giving them seven days on top of the previous two weeks to bring their rent up to date or vacate? Where do I go from here, go easy on me I'm a complete novice!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caveman Posted November 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Thanks for your prompt reply, I dont know if they are on housing benefit but surely the benefits agency wont tell a third party? Can he use the heating situation against me if we try to evict even though he opted to turn off the aga? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTWIN Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 I would phone up the benifits dept say you are the L/L of said property and you beleive the tenants mr & mrs smith are recieving housing benifit and are now 2 months in arrears. What then normally happens when i do this they say either we have no record of a claim at that address or yes there is a currant claim please put your request in writing. If there is nothing wrong with the aga (you may need proof) and it was there when they moved in i would say there is no arguement relating to the heating. They might try that route but are just p-----g in the wind. Dont waste any time a lot of landlords sit on the problem for ages before doing anything. Section 8 and section 21 ASAP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Dewsberry Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 Adequate heatin has been provided ...it would appear to be their choice not to use it ... If ast states no "redecorating" then they will have to return as received or pay to reinstate ...Personally i would request outstanding monies paid in cleared funds , failure to do so resulting in Debt collector involvement ..with T to pay DC 15% fees ... AS well as S8 S21 ....issued immediately ...... This gut is having your trousers down ....pull them up ....and quickly ...... As you are a novice ...would recommend you get some legal advice quickly.... As for leaving date you legally must give them 2 mths notice ....they must give you 1 month ... Bond is Bond ...Rent is rent ......inform them that you cannot use bond as rent and they must pay immediately ...from what you say the bond is going to get used up putting prop right ... Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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