Tenants From HELL!!

[SK1NT]

Does anyone know if i have a case here...

I rent a flat, which straight away will give you images of a wealthy person but this couldn't be further from the truth. Me and my partner bought are a young couple that got on the property ladder at the wrong time we bought this flat in summer 2007 at the peak of house prices and then couldn't afford to live there ourselves as my gf has gone back to uni.

We have previously rented this out successfully twice. However these current tenants really do not have any respect for the place.

They are both teachers and are a professional couple with a new born baby, so you would think ideal tenants... NOPE

1) They have put a new double bed frame and mattress in the garage which i asked them not to which is probably rotting.
2) They broke a brand new top of the range washing machine.
3) They moaned the flat wasn't clean enough when they moved in but was professionally cleaned.
4) They moaned that the previous tenant left a tv in the flat...
5) The boiler stopped working so i signed them up to 24/7 boiler cover
6) They have demanded i fit the flat with double glazing and with 2 weeks forked out 3.5 k and had it fitted. I have had electricians round in an instant I have been a slave to their needs.

A few weeks ago I had a arranged i would be at their flat at 7pm on a Friday night to put the blinds up that were taken down with the fitting of the double glazing. I turned up 20mins late due to the fri night traffic and they wouldn't let me in. The guy even said "Look mate your late now f*** off" he continued to shout abuse and i left totally gobsmacked i had been spoken to like that ( i was only doing them a favour and the blinds only needed putting up because i had double glazed the place for them)

It's got to the point that when i see a txt or missed call off them i feel sick in my stomach and depressed for the next few days.

So this morning i received a new message with photos of damp in the bathroom and bedroom. They are pretty bad and is was not there before as they would have surely complained about this. They are saying the damp was already there but to let the damp get to the stage it is currently at seems to me total negligence. Every time i have been to the flat it hot, humid and they have this dame baby bottle cleaning pumping out loads of steam. Am i left to foot the bill or can i take it out of their deposit?

I even feel bad keeping their deposit as i have never kept a penny off any deposit in the past but i see no other way. For a teacher this guy is aggressive and make me feel like i’m always in the wrong and they are hard done by but the flat has never been an issue for any previous tenants, it is in great condition and i have resolved any issue that have complained about...

Help please....

A hit man may do the job...

 

[Lady Gull]

Do you rent this privately? Or do you have an agent to manage the rental for you?

Do you have a contract with this tenant?

How long have they been there?

 

[SK1NT]

Their contract ends on the 31st March which is the end of a 14 month contract. I rent through an estate agent but un managed.

They are currently in the process of buying their own place and wanted to stay for a few more months... and i was stupidly going to let them stay as long as they wanted for their convenience... however no chance of that now... want them out

 

[dannyboy]

Does anyone know if i have a case here...

I rent a flat, which straight away will give you images of a wealthy person but this couldn't be further from the truth. Me and my partner bought are a young couple that got on the property ladder at the wrong time we bought this flat in summer 2007 at the peak of house prices and then couldn't afford to live there ourselves as my gf has gone back to uni.

We have previously rented this out successfully twice. However these current tenants really do not have any respect for the place.

They are both teachers and are a professional couple with a new born baby, so you would think ideal tenants... NOPE

1) They have put a new double bed frame and mattress in the garage which i asked them not to which is probably rotting.
2) They broke a brand new top of the range washing machine.
3) They moaned the flat wasn't clean enough when they moved in but was professionally cleaned.
4) They moaned that the previous tenant left a tv in the flat...
5) The boiler stopped working so i signed them up to 24/7 boiler cover
6) They have demanded i fit the flat with double glazing and with 2 weeks forked out 3.5 k and had it fitted. I have had electricians round in an instant I have been a slave to their needs.

A few weeks ago I had a arranged i would be at their flat at 7pm on a Friday night to put the blinds up that were taken down with the fitting of the double glazing. I turned up 20mins late due to the fri night traffic and they wouldn't let me in. The guy even said "Look mate your late now f*** off" he continued to shout abuse and i left totally gobsmacked i had been spoken to like that ( i was only doing them a favour and the blinds only needed putting up because i had double glazed the place for them)

It's got to the point that when i see a txt or missed call off them i feel sick in my stomach and depressed for the next few days.

So this morning i received a new message with photos of damp in the bathroom and bedroom. They are pretty bad and is was not there before as they would have surely complained about this. They are saying the damp was already there but to let the damp get to the stage it is currently at seems to me total negligence. Every time i have been to the flat it hot, humid and they have this dame baby bottle cleaning pumping out loads of steam. Am i left to foot the bill or can i take it out of their deposit?

I even feel bad keeping their deposit as i have never kept a penny off any deposit in the past but i see no other way. For a teacher this guy is aggressive and make me feel like i’m always in the wrong and they are hard done by but the flat has never been an issue for any previous tenants, it is in great condition and i have resolved any issue that have complained about...

Help please....

A hit man may do the job...

i would kick them out just for telling you to f*** off when youve gone round there

 

[SK1NT]

i would kick them out just for telling you to f*** off when youve gone round there

They were so rude to me.. i was there on a cold Friday night, toolbox in hand.. i cancelled my plans because that's when they wanted the blinds fitted and then to be spoken to in the worst way i have ever been spoken to was surreal. I just wanted to hit him i was so angry.

I called the estate agents but they said i have to honour the contract which expires the 31st March

 

[Manx Shearwater]

What notice do you need to serve according to the agreement (given there's only a month left)? If its one month then get it served.

Is there anything in the contract about unreasonableness or abusive behaviour? Or anything else (responsibilities to ensure ventilation and so on) that they've breached??

Have a good read through it to see if you think they've breached anything.

 

[Nibble]

They shouldn't have spoken to you like that but to be honest they seem to ask for reasonable things. People who rent out flats seem to think they can do this with no cost to them whatsoever and think it's going to be some kind of cashcow for them and get quite a rude awakening when tenants ask for stuff that they are entitled to. And sort the damp out for them . What right do you have to keep their deposit? Unfortunately tenants have to be demanding these days after years of being ripped off by landlords. If you can't handle that sell up and leave that business well alone.

MAybe the flat wasn't clean enough and frankly I would complain if I moved in and someone else's stuff like T.V's and bedframes were in there. It's my home I don't want their shit cluttering it up.

 

[Common as Mook]

Wait until 31st March.

Dont make any improvements to the flat until they leave, then take a chunk out of their deposit at the end of the tenancy. They won't have a leg to stand on.

 

[Lady Gull]

They were so rude to me.. i was there on a cold Friday night, toolbox in hand.. i cancelled my plans because that's when they wanted the blinds fitted and then to be spoken to in the worst way i have ever been spoken to was surreal. I just wanted to hit him i was so angry.

I called the estate agents but they said i have to honour the contract which expires The 31st March

Ok - Give them Notice that you have agreed.

If your in any doubt at all go and have a chat with a Landlord and Tenant lawyer - and make sure you do this properly or they will stitch you up.

Always, in future do short term 6 month lets - never let them stay longer than a year as its bloody hard to get them out x

Get rid ASAP

 

[Common as Mook]

They shouldn't have spoken to you like that but to be honest they seem to ask for reasonable things. People who rent out flats seem to think they can do this with no cost to them whatsoever and think it's going to be some kind of cashcow for them and get quite a rude awakening when tenants ask for stuff that they are entitled to. And sort the damp out for them . What right do you have to keep their deposit? Unfortunately tenants have to be demanding these days after years of being ripped off by landlords. If you can't handle that sell up and leave that business well alone.

MAybe the flat wasn't clean enough and frankly I would complain if I moved in and someone else's stuff like T.V's and bedframes were in there. It's my home I don't want their shit cluttering it up.

I agree to a certain extent, but there is an explicit duty of care when you living in someone else's property. Damp can be avoided and 9 times out of 10 it is exacerbated by the tenants not taking due care of the property.

 

[halbpro]

Their contract ends on the 31st March which is the end of a 14 month contract. I rent through an estate agent but un managed.

They are currently in the process of buying their own place and wanted to stay for a few more months... and i was stupidly going to let them stay as long as they wanted for their convenience... however no chance of that now... want them out

They sound like absolute tossers, particularly if you only missed an appointment by 20 minutes. Hell it would have taken you more than 20 minutes to put the blinds up! To be honest you sound like an ideal landlord, so get rid of them and hopefully you'll get someone who appreciates such an accommodating landlord.

 

[Springal]

Why would you fit double glazing for them? They knew it wasn't when they moved in?

Sounds like you have been too much of a pushover, unfortunately. Maybe should have gone managed?

 

[Brighton1]

Tenants

Does anyone know if i have a case here...

I rent a flat, which straight away will give you images of a wealthy person but this couldn't be further from the truth. Me and my partner bought are a young couple that got on the property ladder at the wrong time we bought this flat in summer 2007 at the peak of house prices and then couldn't afford to live there ourselves as my gf has gone back to uni.

We have previously rented this out successfully twice. However these current tenants really do not have any respect for the place.

They are both teachers and are a professional couple with a new born baby, so you would think ideal tenants... NOPE

1) They have put a new double bed frame and mattress in the garage which i asked them not to which is probably rotting.
2) They broke a brand new top of the range washing machine.
3) They moaned the flat wasn't clean enough when they moved in but was professionally cleaned.
4) They moaned that the previous tenant left a tv in the flat...
5) The boiler stopped working so i signed them up to 24/7 boiler cover
6) They have demanded i fit the flat with double glazing and with 2 weeks forked out 3.5 k and had it fitted. I have had electricians round in an instant I have been a slave to their needs.

A few weeks ago I had a arranged i would be at their flat at 7pm on a Friday night to put the blinds up that were taken down with the fitting of the double glazing. I turned up 20mins late due to the fri night traffic and they wouldn't let me in. The guy even said "Look mate your late now f*** off" he continued to shout abuse and i left totally gobsmacked i had been spoken to like that ( i was only doing them a favour and the blinds only needed putting up because i had double glazed the place for them)

It's got to the point that when i see a txt or missed call off them i feel sick in my stomach and depressed for the next few days.

So this morning i received a new message with photos of damp in the bathroom and bedroom. They are pretty bad and is was not there before as they would have surely complained about this. They are saying the damp was already there but to let the damp get to the stage it is currently at seems to me total negligence. Every time i have been to the flat it hot, humid and they have this dame baby bottle cleaning pumping out loads of steam. Am i left to foot the bill or can i take it out of their deposit?

I even feel bad keeping their deposit as i have never kept a penny off any deposit in the past but i see no other way. For a teacher this guy is aggressive and make me feel like i’m always in the wrong and they are hard done by but the flat has never been an issue for any previous tenants, it is in great condition and i have resolved any issue that have complained about...

Help please....

A hit man may do the job...

I own a share in a lettings company and without any bias I'd never manage it myself....Have you an inventory? If you do with pictures it will show that the property had no damp when they moved in. Is the deposit with the DPS?

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

The damp in the bathroom and bedroom is probably condensation caused by the installation of the double (secondary?) glazing. Are the windows vented? Does the bathroom have an extract fan?

 

[Manx Shearwater]

I agree to a certain extent, but there is an explicit duty of care when you living in someone else's property. Damp can be avoided and 9 times out of 10 it is exacerbated by the tenants not taking due care of the property.

This.

Read the tenancy agreement. If its anything like the one my missus has (she rents out her old house), there are duties of care on both the landlord AND the tenant. They have a responsibility to look after the place. Its not always the onus of the Landlord to sort out THEIR mess, if its been caused by their negligence.

 

[ropey9]

The damp has likely always been there, but has been exacerbated by the installation of the double glazing which has reduced the ventilation offered by the previous windows.

Double glazing is normally installed with vents in the windows to allow for the dissipation of damp. But when it is cold this lets heat out, so sometime people block the vents.

I would check that all the vents - windows / air bricks / bathroom ceiling fans are all working correctly, if they have blocked all the vents then I would bill them for sorting out the damp / redecorating.

Incidentally as a landlord are you obligated to fit double glazing?

 

[skipper734]

Contracts are usually 6 months. Sign them up for 6 months and then just let it roll without resigning. You can then get them out when you want to, as they only had the original 6 months as a contract. 14 Months sounds weird!
Man up, get them out as soon as you can and keep the deposit. You didn't have to fit the double glazing for them, the damp is down to them probably, because of the steam and lack of ventilation.
The boiler maintenance is reasonable as that could be a safety thing. This sort of stuff happens all the time when you do your own management, you just can't tell with people, my niece has the most trouble with little old ladies in her flats.
Hopefully they will go quietly when the contract is up, fingers crossed.

 

[Biscuit]

Kick them out at the end of their contract and take the deposit for maintenance. Did you have a photo inventry? If you had it professionally cleaned it probably would have been best to, as it would cover you should they lodge a bid for the deposit through the DPS.

 

[Originunknown]

Sounds like you've been a very good landlord and they can't recognise this, very ungrateful. Don't do them any more favours, keep their deposit and cite some damages to your property and cleaning required as the reason why. Document it with evidence on your inspection when they move out.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Why would you fit double glazing for them? They knew it wasn't when they moved in?

Sounds like you have been too much of a pushover, unfortunately. Maybe should have gone managed?

I would also like to know this