lanaby Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 I have a tenant who has been in for over 2 years and consistently paid rent despite having mental health problems and being sectioned to secure hospital! The house is very important to her because of that. The rent more than covers the interest payments and I have only increased the rent once by £10 per month to cover extended absence insurance while she is in hospital. She's starting to give me a bit of attitude and mess me around not being in for the gas man , and changing appointments etc. I anticipate that if or when I do have to evict her, I will see a full attitude problem although not necessary non compliance. Am I stupid for not increasing the rent? Anticipating problems, would any of you consider evicting or is it enough to have a stable tenant, with attitude than a non paying tenant with attitude, which I have had before? I just wonder if i'm being too soft. Thanks in advance Elana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 She's starting to give me a bit of attitude and mess me around not being in for the gas man , and changing appointments etc. Thats hardly a big issue is it ? The gas man is surely nothing to do with you. Anticipating problems, would any of you consider evicting or is it enough to have a stable tenant, with attitude than a non paying tenant with attitude, which I have had before? I just wonder if i'm being too soft. I wouldn't have let a property to her in the first place given her health problems but putting that aside I wouldn't put up with repeated sillyness and I'd almost always charge at or near the market rent. There is no room for emotion in this business but plenty of opportunity to be helpfull & charitable in your private life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mortitia Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 By 'gas man' Lanaby do you mean gas safety certificate inspection? I suppose it could be her medication making her act like that and that could also be judged as an extra risk on the insurance. I would firm up my approach to her and distance any emotions on her status in life. Are you running a business or a charity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanaby Posted March 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 Thanks for the replies. Yes by gas man I do mean for the gas safety certificate and I dont want to mess him around as he is reliable and a good asset to have when renting privately. It isnt a charity and I do distance myself from her but I guess its knowing where the balance is between keeping a stable tenant who pays rent and is mostly ok, or squeezing her out by increasing the rent and not knowing who I'll get in next. On a another note, she has been a sole tenant all this time but recently got engaged. He has his own place and i've previously said I dont want him living there full time. If they get married and she wants him to move in I have a dilemma. I'd want him on the lease but I can anticipate a time when she might be in hospital and then some guy I dont know is living in my property. Would be interested to know how others would hande that? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melboy Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 My Son comes across tenants many many times who, for a whole variety of reasons can't gain access to carry out gas certificates for landlords even though it is on a strictly pre appointment basis. There is not one excuse he hasn't heard. Some of these tenants have no respect for the person who is carrying out a gas safety check that may one day save them from death. Son's attitude is that if you won't let him into the property he reports back to the LA and the landlord of non compliance or no co-operation by the tenant and if he cannot get into the property within 15 minutes of waiting time he bills the landlord for a missed appointment fee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 We hear about this problem many times on this & other forums. Wouldn't it be possible to get the tenant to sign a letter granting the landlord or his agent (with a gas safe engineer) permission to enter the property for the purposes of gas safety checks at a specified date in the future ? The tenant could sign the letter at the same time that they sign the AST. Would that work.....legally & in practice ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carryon Regardless Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 In the past I've taken T's with questionable status as regards mental health. I can't be expected to understand their needs, moods or whatever but while accepting the strong possibility of increased risk their status doesn't mean they are risky. A G'tor is a must but more than that I made sure the contract reflected that the G'tor (carer maybe) had a recognised responsibility and involvement. My main communication was then through the G'tor as I considered that to be more reliable. If you don't have such a person possibly you could explore the possibility. Good T's are invaluable in my book and often I work with them to keep things workable. There is a point that becomes too much though. I've a great T till recently, there since 2003, I don't see the tenancy being workable any more though. Shame that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanaby Posted March 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 thanks COR, despite her problems, she has consistently paid rent and always asked for permission if she needed to change something in the house, so the mental health problems arent an issue in that sense. It is just the balance between keeping a good tenant going and knowing when things are starting to go downhill. I previously had a nightmare tenant who I eventually evicted and in hindsight wish I'd done it sooner. I guess only I can decide when that time is. I would appreciate any thoughts on the boyfriend issue though... does anyone have a view on that please? Elana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melboy Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 The Boyfriend/Husband/ Partner must be on the tenancy agreement. If they live apart not married in their own properties it is not a problem BUT watch out for the DWP/DSS con of tenant claiming single allowances when in fact the person claiming benefits has a person living with them and possibly working. Just something to be aware of and to keep an eye on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mortitia Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Lanaby - here is a true tale of woe on this sort of thing I encountered 2 years ago. I run a small rent collection service for a landlord who does a lot of social letting. I cover a small part of his territory where t's pay their own rent. My agent goes to a regular property to collect the rent - tenant is probably in the spectrum you are describing and lives solo. She is on medication and has a 'project worker'. Tenant answers door and says she does not have the rent because her new boyfriend has taken it. After chatting with T at door it turns out BF took money to buy drink and drugs - never happened before. Whilst at door boyfriend suddenly comes to door and throws contents of a bucket over my collector. Turns out this is his urine. Police called and BF is removed forcibly by officers in noddy suits. BF has hepatitis B and C at least we find out. Collector spent most of day having tests done at hospital. Clothes destroyed - mega grief all round. Social worker later told me that this is a 'cuckoo case'. BF susses likely host and moves in and the rest you have read and she warned me to watch for change in temperament of female tenants as this is often the pre-cursor to trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanaby Posted March 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Thanks Melboy, and Mortitia; that was a story from hell! I would be reluctant to let her BF move in; i'm not sure why..., I just think I have more control over the tenancy with just her on it. My concern is that by increasing the rent, she will be less able to pay and then more likely to want to move him in. However, the rent can't stay stable forever and If it comes to it, I will make sure a new lease is drawn up with him on it. This game is such a balancing act... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 This game is such a balancing act... Up to this point I was keeping up with storyline...... Its only a balancing act if you choose to let too higher risk tenants........ Those on benefits and those with mental health problems = high risk. Those with both = even higher risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grampa Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 The trouble with nutters is you dont always know they are until they have been signed up. But you can weed out most though by doing all the correct checks and ref etc at the start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I find meeting prospective tenants personally and talking with them for 10 minutes tends to identify those who are unacceptable. Its easy really.........my starting point is that I assume everyone is unacceptable until they have persauded me otherwise. This can lead to long voids but I'm usually successfull at avoiding the nutters ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carryon Regardless Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I sometimes wish I had the chance to meet prospective T's The result there is a lowering of standards and taking the higher risk gits pretty well knowing there are problems ahead. I used to think it was a balancing act but it makes more sense to just stay where I fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I used to think it was a balancing act but it makes more sense to just stay where I fall. COR....Thats brilliant.....the best one liner seen on this forum for ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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