Recovering rent arrears

[PPrior]

Hi, exellent website by the way!

Although I may be going over well trodden ground, but I have a problem tenant who is coming to the end of their current AST agreement, they have sumitted notice to leave at the end of the tenancy agreement but have outstanding arrears totalling around £700.

Advice appreciated on this one, as we're not sure how best to formalise a recovery plan with the tenant which offers a realistic chance of me recovering the arrears even after the expiration of the contract.

Any help offered will be greatly received.

Kind Regards

PaulP

[Mortitia]

Hi Paul,

Are these 2 posts referring to the same situation? I take it you have a deposit somewhere, if so, does that reduce the unpaid rent somewhat?

You could go for a CCJ and I recommend getting proceedings started and served before the tenant moves out - just in case you don't get a forwarding address.

Do you know why they have not kept up with the rent? A debt collector might be appropriate just to suss out the situation without inflaming it. Try to find one that does no win, no fee.

If tenant(s) are unemployed or you know they are just about to go to Timbuktoo then I would get them out and re-let asap and maybe walkaway from the debt. Only you can decide.

Hope this helps,

Mortitia

[PPrior]

Thanks Mortitia,

These are two separate posts relating to different properties.

The arrears have arisen over the past two years due to a series of changes in the personal situation of the tenant, from fully employed, to part-time, to pregnant to with child. The arrears effectively built up during the transition from private to being in receipt of housing benefit, a series of mis-communications, timing issues and local authority red tape...

I think we may ultimately back out and re-let as the deposit (currently held by the Deposit Tenancy Scheme) will cover approximately half of the arrears.

Many thanks for your help

PaulP