Landlords address

Hi Mark

I think you are probably right although I am not quite so hot on quoting specific legislation as others here.

Hopefully Industry Observer, Romain or Mary Latham will be along soon to help.
.

a tenant is entitled to an "Address for Service" (of documents). for the purposes of Sections 47 and 48 of The Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 It is perfectly legal for a landlord to use a non-residential address for this service address. The Address for service should be included in the AST

As ABABS (sounds funny but it's too long in full), any address in England or Wales will do for the purpose of notices.

However, s.1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 also states that the tenant may request the name and address of the landlord to the person to whom he pays the rent (probably Mark here) and that, in such case "that person shall supply the tenant with a written statement of the landlord’s name and address within the period of 21 days".
I think it is generally understood that this must be the actual address, not c/o agent.

I know plenty of landlords who use their accountants address or agents and I can see no legal reason why this is not sufficient...... bw ABABS !!

Hi Mark, as an Agent, you should really know the answer to this as this is a basic requirement under the Housing Act. However, assuming this is just a request for reassurance on the topic I will answer the question.

Both points above are valid. The basic answer is you must give the CONTACT address of the Landlord that you hold to the tenant if they request it. The AST can have a care of address as the landlord's address as long as you are acting as agent for the service of notices, otherwise the AST MUST have a CONTACT address for the landlord. As to what constitutes a contact address as as far as a landlord is concerned is more of a grey area. We have landlords that insist on a PO Box address for this, and we have checked that this is a valid address for this purpose. My advice is that you must give the tenant the address that YOU hold as a contact address for the landlord if they ask for it.

We insist on the the 10 day formal request by email or letter from the tenant, as detailed in the statutes, but we also try and understand why the tenant is asking for it, and deflect it that way. But if they insist and follow the 10 day letter request, then you have to give it to them. You do NOT, however, have to give them any email or phone number for the landlord. And we normally give the landlord the Heads Up as to what is happening and hopefully why they have asked for it, so the landlord is forewarned.

The landlord can give a business address if they want to, but they must be able to prove that this is a valid address where any letter sent to it will be passed the the 'legal owner' of the property concerned.

Hope that helps

Your office address is fine. All that is required is an address for service, which must be valid -that is, the landlord can get notices/letters, etc by it.

I seem to remember that if the tenant requests the landlords address in writing, the agent must provide an address with 21 days. Section one of the landlord and tenant act 1985. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/70/section/1

The tenant can also do a land registry check for £3 that will show the owners name and address, this address may be up-to-date.

I'd love the true legal answer to the LL address question, especially as the new RIC guidelines are coming through.

These talk about this on page 17 (I think it is just the current state restated anyway).

Agent must provide LL address for rent demand to be legal, if LL lives abroad a UK service address must be given. Upon written request agent must provide LL name and address (criminal offence not to). If you operate as a company if the tenant makes a further request you must supply the name/address of directors and secretary.

It is a bit tricky to read, it seems to flip between agent and LL POV but as I read it, it peels away the layers of anonymity.

1. Always supply a service address.
2. Upon demand supply company address.
3. Upon further demand supply company operators address.

If these addresses were not different then the first requirement would suffice.

I suppose the company officers could use service addresses.

Most of us do not use companies anyway so would be exposed from requirement 2.

All of this seems to be have been written from a cozy office somewhere because at the lower end of the market, how many HMO operators would like the customers to know where their family lives.

Forget the celebs and MPs hiding, for some people there is a real risk from all this.

RICs consultation here
https://consultations.rics.org/consult.ti/prscode/consultationHome%C2%A0