Tenants Children behaving badly

[contactkay]

Hi there,

Thought I'd drop a line here first before trying other sources as you guys seems really clued up. I've got a tenant (agreement finishes in 4 months and 16 days, Hallelujah!!) who has 2 kids who have become a real pain to the neighbours. It's a lovely little area and these kids torment some of the dogs in the neighbourhood, standing out the front of the owners houses and howling and barking. They have also been going into some of the neighbours garden without permission and removing property from the garden. We had an outbuilding at the bottom of the garden that the tenant was warned would be moved and was not safe for her kids to go into as that part of the garden was not agreed to in the let. The kids removed stuff from the building as well as constantly going in there. Clearly, the tenants neighbours let me know. We have fenced the area so that the kids are safe now and can not remove anything else and have a nice little garden area to play in. Can I write a letter to the tenant mentioning the kids behaviour or should I continue to count the days until my house is free and the neighbours can sigh a breath of relief and stop worrying about what else might go missing. Mind you, these kids are under 8! I've also been told that the tenant leaves the kids in the house on their own, day and night although no one knows how often or for how long.

Any advice would be welcomed.

Kay

[Mortitia]

Hi Kay,

Firstly if you don't want tenants or their kids to enter an area no part of the tenancy then you have to fence and close it off purposefully. Just telling them is not enough and you could be liable for any accidents resulting from your inattention to this.

Surely if neighbousrs suspect the mother is leaving children alone in the house they should have called social services and not you. Now you have been told you have a duty of care to inform social services of your suspitions and details of the conversations with neighbours. Your propery could be more at risk with having children solo in the house and they are at risk themselves. I'd get on the phone now! The social don't necessarily say who has informed on the mother. Seems you writing to her would be a waste of time.

Do your duty then count the days....!

Mortitia

[contactkay]

Thanks for that Mortita,

That's what I was really afraid of. I really wish I had stuck to my guns over not accepting this tenant instead of letting my husband get bullied and lied to by a stupid letting agent. Been nothing but trouble and since we have fenced the garden leaving a little grassy area and reasonable sized patio as well as flowerbeds and a pond area and are making it into a really lovely area, this tenant has started demanding I remove the fencing and give access to the entire garden. As the tenant has already burnt a huge hole in the grass leaving a bare patch, I would rather let travellers squat for free.

I am really worried about the children but am more worried about what they are likely to do my property and all with no comeback as they claim the ever wonderful H/B.

Would I ever let to H/B again without a thoroughly credit checked guarantor who owned their property? Not if I could sell for more than a tenner! Would I ever use Foxtons again? Only if they were all struck with the same thing as Jim Carey in Liar Liar and even then, NO WAY!!

Will update soon.

Kay

[Simon Dewsberry]

Mind you, these kids are under 8! I've also been told that the tenant leaves the kids in the house on their own, day and night although no one knows how often or for how long.

Any advice would be welcomed.

Kay

Advice: call social services immediately.

[contactkay]

Hi there,

The problem I have is that I haven't got any proof about the children being left alone. My husband has noticed so many men going into the flat when he was working on the garden that he rightly pointed out that if someone hadn't seen the men go in and just the tenant leave then it might be hearsay versus whatever the tenant says. The neighbours who have seen don't want to get involved because of the sort of people this tenant hangs around with and because the ones that told me all have young children themselves. So basically all I have is hearsay. Which makes sense, since the first time this tenant was investigated for benefit fraud, the shrewd council workers told her it was the Landlord and neighbours who told and now everyone is very wary.

The lovely tenant has taken to demanding that I remove the fencing (I guess so the tearaway children can rampage in the neighbours garden) or no rent. With 4 months to go, I actually don't mind losing 2 months rent if the problem (tenant, boyfriend, children and all the men that seem to just stay in the flat with or without the tenant) then just goes away.

All that and in effect, if my husband stopped paying taxes each month, we'd have the rent payment anyhow. Seems a bit pointless to pay taxes and then collect it back from the tenant.

I really am having a downer today. Don't like to moan so much but I am so glad that we are learning this lesson now. It could have been so much worse if we had had a 2 or 5 year contract like Foxtons tried to push.

Kay

[Simon Dewsberry]

Hi there,

The problem I have is that I haven't got any proof about the children being left alone.

If you believe that the children are left unattended in this property you are morally bound to inform social services. It is not for you to prove this.

That is the job for social services.

If something were to happen to one of those children how would your conscience be looking ?

Further:

lots of men coming and going rings some very loud alarm bells in my mind.

[contactkay]

Having experienced the children and after almost being arrested for merely trying to collect the rent after the tenant accused both my husband and I of accosting then pushing said tenant, my conscience is so crystal clear it is singing! Those tearaways will probably be living off my family for the rest of their lives. Luckily it was a decent honest policeman and not pc plod who attended the scene as the tenant had called 999 3 times to report an attack. As it was, thankfully my husband and I were picking up our daughter from school (witnesses) and as tenant was unable to show a single bruise, mark or scratch we were saved from being arrested over a false allegation. In fact I am now furious that the police did not arrest tenant for wasting police time.

Tenant was helpful in plainly lying to policeman about me not advising I was coming to the property and about partner and I managed to leave with the rent (uncleared cheque) so all's well that could end well and SS will be notified about tenant's children by police as well now.

Although to be clear, it is not my responsibilty to look after a tenants kids other than to provide as safe a home as I can and I have done that to the highest degree so whatever happens to them, I actually don't care anymore. Any of them. And as I won't be involved in any way, I am off to sleep the sleep of the just and the almost arrested!

In 2 years, 3 properties and over 10 tenants (mainly students), including the ones that turned a house into a cannabis factory, this tenant is by far the worst. A real cupcake! And for this tenant, Foxtons got paid. I'd rather the drug growers back. At least it was quick and simple and no need for eviction notices. 4 months and then freedom.