I’m losing a tenant every 6 months, please help!

I’m losing a tenant every 6 months, please help!

17:23 PM, 29th October 2013, About 11 years ago 58

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Hi all,

My fifth tenant has now decided to leave after having been subject to 6 months of abuse and hell from the neighbour adjoining the maisonette. All four previous tenants have left after six months and have all cited this neighbour from hell as the culprit for their misery and reason for leaving. This has put me at substantial financial loss, not to mention the stress. This is my first property and subsequently my first time as a landlord. I am losing a tenant every 6 months

I have exacerbated all my options. The troublesome neighbour likes to throw his weight around and seems to relish in bullying my tenants. He is also very devious, he has filed noise complaints against each one of my tenants with the council and complains to both letting agents about the noise. My current tenant mentions that the last straw was when the neighbour abused and threw stones at his Mum while she was visiting, thus instigating my tenant to angrily shout at the neighbour who recorded the interaction on his phone. When my tenant called the Police they did nothing as the neighbour had footage of my tenant shouting.

Emails from my previous four tenants include incidents where the troublesome neighbour, grabbed Tenant A round the throat and threatened him in my property. He jumped over the garden fence and threatened Tenant B. Threats to steal, shoot, beat up Tenant C and Tenant D apparently used to come home from work and watch TV wearing headphones so as not to disturb him, the list is a lot longer than this.

Police have been called on six separate occasions by two different tenants (the others were too scared to).

I have contacted the landlord of the property direct. Their letting agent is not prepared to do anything about it giving the excuse that it is one tenants word against another. I am have now lost my fifth tenant! Is this not evidence enough that the neighbour is the cause of the problem?

My letting agent has tried to influence the other letting agent but I feel both have dragged their feet hoping that the dust will settle. My letting agent now is refusing to re-let the property due to this neighbour.

I feel like I only have two options:

1) Reluctantly sell the property or

2) Try and re-let the property by switching my current agent to the same letting agent who oversees the troublesome neighbour. This eliminates the denial that there is a problem and who causes it due to one letting agent getting to hear about all the problems at both properties without any middlemen diluting the seriousness of the allegations. The problem with this option is whether the letting agent would evict the troublesome tenant or just be happy to allow my tenants to leave and enjoy the inctreased income from the renewals.

What other options do I have?

Please help.

Mark Lintern


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Comments

Industry Observer

14:01 PM, 30th October 2013, About 11 years ago

Mark

In my view you are giving way too much. In a situation where the other LL should be compensating you for your losses you are actually offering to compensate him.

It is your decision and I know you are desperate for a quick solution, but I'd like to see what your own agent has to say to this suggested payment to the other Landlord. What you must bear in mind is that presumably the Italians are paying their rent because otherwise if they are trouble surely they would have been evicted by now?

So when they get notice from their own LL with whom until now they have presumably had a good relationship what happens if they stop paying their rent and the other LL looks to you for 50% - and it takes 6 months to get them out?

I think you are at the top of a very steep hill or edge of a very long drop. Either way turn back would be my advice.

Mark Lintern

15:16 PM, 30th October 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Industry Observer " at "30/10/2013 - 14:01":

Industry observer

Thanks thats something I didn't consider, this olive branch could turn out to be very costly if I'm not careful, I will heed your advice.

Industry Observer

17:48 PM, 30th October 2013, About 11 years ago

Just take it slow but sure, one key step at a time Mark.

I know how words can be twisted - you mean rent lost whilst void, other LL takes his meaning to be rent lost while tenant isn't paying!!

ian

19:21 PM, 30th October 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Industry Observer " at "30/10/2013 - 08:11":

Industry Observer
Sorry that you feel offended with my sense of humour. Surely you didn't see that as a serious comment when it ended with LOL. (laugh out loud).

Industry Observer

22:46 PM, 30th October 2013, About 11 years ago

Not offended Ian just don't see the point in a serious thread.

Now let's see a serious comment from you

ian

23:44 PM, 30th October 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Industry Observer " at "30/10/2013 - 22:46":

I would personally move into the property & access the situation for myself, any problems then I would confront him & see what can be done to resolve the situation, failing that take legal advice.

Industry Observer

7:57 AM, 31st October 2013, About 11 years ago

And where exactly are you going to move into Ian - with the Italians?!!!

And supposing there is another void unit in the block (highly likely!!) what happens if you live and work 100 miles away?

Ian this matter is clearly a long standing one that has been going on a long time and with no easy solution.

Not only are you up against the usual brave talk until it comes to going to Court and giving evidence against someone who knows where you live (if in same block or a neighbour) but in this case may I remind everyone that the solution is not in Mark's own hands - because it is not his flat and it is not his tenant.

So apart from knocking on the door, having an inevitable confrontation, and then knowing these tenants finding the police questioning and possibly charging him with assault, what is your next suggestion?

The only solution here is for Mark to issue proceedings against the Italians Landlord and agent in the hope that this will make them serve s21 on the Italians (assuming they are periodic) and eventually evict them.

Yvette Newbury

16:09 PM, 31st October 2013, About 11 years ago

Sorry if this has already been posted, but can you not speak direct to the Landlord of the problem tenants rather than to the agency? I always bypass the agents when possible as they have their own agenda, however good they may be, you cannot beat discussing a matter like this with the actual Landlord of the property directly.

Mark Lintern

17:11 PM, 31st October 2013, About 11 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Yvette Newbury " at "31/10/2013 - 16:09":

Hi Yvette,

I did this a couple of tenants back as I know the landlord, at first the exchanges seemed promising. But relations broke down and I was asked to issue all contact via their agent, I've respected that request ever since. I can understand why a landlord would not want to get involved especially when they are paying agent fees. I'm waiting to see what their response is this time round as there is now overwhelming evidence suggesting that their tenant is the nuisance. I suppose now it comes down to whether they do whats morally right, or just think about their bottom line and ignore it at which point I may have to force them to do the right thing through the courts, which seems daft, causing 2 agents and 2 landlords to fall out over 1 troublesome tenant. Its this tenant that should be put in his place and moved on to show he can't get away with bullying people.

Yvette Newbury

17:40 PM, 31st October 2013, About 11 years ago

I see, but I do wonder whether now you should revert to the Landlord. After all, if it does have to go to court action then it will be the Landlord you will be claiming against, not the agent. Also if the Landlord is having to deal with it himself (because you are contacting him not the agent) then he may be inclined to take further action against his tenant, or just serve a Section 21 notice on him to quit. I know I would be horrified if I were contacted with news that any of my tenants were putting any of my neighbours through such an ordeal and would act accordingly to put it right as quickly as the process allows.
.

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