Forwarding address not supplied?

Hi Jo,

I don’t think there is a legal requirement to leave a forwarding address, but it is of concern that the tenant does not want to.

Have there been any particular issues and why are they leaving?

Reply to the comment left by “Neil Patterson” at “07/02/2017 – 09:51“:

No issues as the tenant has been in situ for over 10 years and is only leaving now as needs to go into sheltered housing. All strange

Hi Jo.
At the end of every tenancy, I inform the outgoing tenants that I need a forwarding address for 2 reasons –

1) so I can forward any mail which arrives after they’ve departed, and

2) So I can completed the Deposit Return process with the DPS.

If they wish their deposit back quickly (which most tenants do) then they are normally willing to provide their forwarding address, which of course I provide to the utility companies along with meter readings, and the Council, for chasing any outstanding Council Tax.

Reply to the comment left by “Jim Fox” at “07/02/2017 – 12:57“:

Thanks

I evicted a tenant last year with no forwarding address. The address given previously for DPS prescribed info is no longer valid and there was no deposit to return due to damage. All mail is “return to sender”. I did this for quite a while (until I got bored and fed up with providing an unpaid service!) but still the mail comes in mostly from companies where money is owing, so no doubt dept collectors will be around soon. This despite sending letters to the companies saying the former tenant is no longer in residence. I believe their is a formal process that requires x number of letters to be sent to the last known address before they take a legal stance, why not bring in a tracing agent earlier? Contacting utility providers to give a forwarding address is normally well received except in the case of “Extra Energy” who I have found to be very rude and refused to take details of the former and new tenants (not English speaking), I was trying to help! – the new tenants have yet to open an account and I am looking forward to Extra Energy contacting me – I have my answer already prepared!

Thanks.Jo

I have had a number of tenants refuse to leave a forwarding address… One owes me over £2000 ( I will never see it – she is a total scumbag) and lives below the visibility line ( never pays any tax, council tax, insurance, etc etc etc). I am now convinced that the are no debt collectors which actually do anything at all… I have sent three lots after this woman and none have, I believe, even left their offices to try and find her – in thirty years of owning two non-letting businesses, and running multiple lets I have NEVER ever, had a debt collector actually collect a debt…. How they make any money is beyond me – they all seem to be patently useless.

Apologies for the digression … I did have a very pleasant tenant once who left a forwarding address, always paid his rent and I was sorry to see him go. The council asked for the address about a year later , and I passed it on. I then received a stream of abusive and rude texts and phone calls the likes of which I have never experienced before!! I suspect he had not been paying his council tax and had just been found out! Clearly I should have protected him so that he could continue being dishonest!

I am astounded by some of the comments re forwarding addresses. If a Tenant vacates without rent arrears, and the property is left in a good state of repair with utilities paid up to date, why on earth would any landlord take it upon themselves to assist a local authority chase a tenant for unpaid Council tax. Council do not assist us where they do have forwarding addresses and where we are owed money, citing the DPA as the reason for not assisting. We are not unpaid tax collectors, and with the mountains of red tape as well as the regulatory burden placed upon us by local authorities, I could not be bothered assisting these horrible organisations pursue former tenants. With respect to the landlord who received foul txts from his tenant for disclosing his address to the council. What did he expect.?
I do not condone foul language, but understand the tenants frustration. The landlord should mind his own business. This was a private matter between the tenant and council, and it beyond comprehension as to why any landlord would assist local authorities chase tenants, when those same bodies would prosecute us for the most minor perceived transgression.

Larry, the only reason I inform the utility companies and the local Council Tax office of the old tentns forwarding address, is that if I dont, and the old tenants doesn’t, then the utility companies, and the Council will assume the tenant is still residing in my property, and in the end this could give me even bigger problems further down the line.
I always inform the outgoing tenant that I’ll be doing this, and even copy them in on my e mail to the utility companies and Council, so its not done ‘underhand’.
It also then provides me with proof should I subsequently be ‘chased’ by the utility companies or Council.
Regards,’
Jim

Reply to the comment left by “Jim Fox” at “08/02/2017 – 11:38“:

I agree with all those comments by Jim.
Thanks
Jo