Tenant not paying fair rent

[Aegean]

A year ago my mum went into hospital. I was unable to look after her due to my own recent surgery. Without my knowledge my stepsisters whisked her off to Harrogate to live with them and before I knew anything about it one of my stepsisters' daughter was living there. I have now been obliged to put my mother in a care home as she is too frail to look after herself. There is only a verbal agreement and at the time of her going to live with my stepsisters my mother said "Do what you want with the house", which the tenant has proceeded to do, laying laminate floors and redecorating without informing anyone first. She asked if another person could move in, to which we agreed but she has also moved another person in, plus a dog, without asking permission. These three people pay a combined total of £25 per week rent. My mother now needs to eithe rincrease the rent to a reasonable amount to help with her care home fees, or sell it. As we are receiving complaints from neighbours about these tenants we would prefer them to leave so we can find new tenants, or if theat is not possible, sell the house.

Can anyone help, please?

[Mortitia]

Hi Blossom,

Firstly does your mother own the house outright or is it mortgaged in any way?

If your is mother of sound mind it would be wise to get legal Power of Attorney over her affairs (you with both need to visit a solicitor or have one visit her at the home in order to do this and she must be willing to hand things over to you. Once this is done you can then act for her in getting rid of these tenants.

Without a tenancy agreement you or she or the solicitor will have to evict them and the sooner you start on all this the better.

The rent seems very low indeed. There is no quick fix I'm afraid.

Mortitia

[Aegean]

Thanks for your advice, Mortitia. Mum owns the house outright but it needs attentrion. We are both in ill health so better to sell it and get it off our backs, I think.

Blossom