Proof of tenancy for UC?

if this is the current TA then it is valid. Date of it is irrelevant. This is proof of tenancy and tenant should provide this to UC.

Problem is UC are useless in understanding this. Tell your tenant to keep at it ad they will have to accept this.

Give them a letter stating;

tenant and landlords name, address and contact details

address of the property

date the tenancy began and how long the term is

amount of rent and how often it is paid

As above, option 2 is a letter from the landlord.

Think I’d be alerted to the wider picture here. Has the tenant’s employment/personal circumstances changed from the original application back in 2015 if they applying for UC. That might impact on affordability of rent. Despite being a good tenant of 8 years things do change as would seem to be the case here. Just saying!

Fully agree with the previous responses. Been in this situation many times where UC (and formerly the councils when they provided housing benefit) and more often than not these people don’t know their a*se from their elbow on landlord and tenant law.

I insist my tenant persists with the application based on the current TA that has become periodic. I send my tenant a detailed letter of explanation that their TA is still current and valid and that the only thing that has changed is there is no longer a fixed term (periodic). I tell them to send this to UC with next letter as well.

I also send a letter to them with the recipient being ‘to whom it may concern, c/o the tenant, tenants address. This letter asks the recipient to accept this as proof of tenancy, states the details on the tenancy- my name, address and contact details, tenants name and address, tenancy begin date with them still being occupant with now SPT or CPT tenancy agreements, rental amount, recepient requires any further information they are to contact me directly.

Bit of hassle but I have always favoured it above giving new agreements that tie me into new periods and all the hassle of proving compliance at a tenancy begin.

Horses for courses but I favour periodics. I have many long term tenants including one of 18 years still on original agreement of 6 month fixed term. Of course I have always ensured that there are no conflicts between old agreements and new legislation.

For whatever reasons some folk like to keep issuing new agreements- but for me self managing over 40 properties, I couldnt be doing with all the time consumption involved every 6 months never mind all the other issues.

Choice is yours really

Could be that they didn’t know that they could get something. They could be one of those people that was on one of the legacy benefits such as Child Tax Credits which has now been moved over to UC. It could be that they have always been able to claim, just didn’t know they could.

The fact that they are applying means that the rent should be even more affordable as they would have extra income.

What’s a rent book – never seen one?

Reply to the comment left by Dennis Forrest at 03/03/2023 – 13:25
Haha Dennis that made me smile. I remember the day when the rent man (parent’s home) came each week. The rent book was green. If you got behind too much is was changed to a red one. Rentman’s name would you believe was Mr Round (no kidding)! How life has changed.

Reply to the comment left by Dennis Forrest at 03/03/2023 – 13:25
Rent Books were used mainly (but not restricted to) for weekly tenancies – usually begun on a Saturday. It gave details of the Landlord, address and weekly rent, and recorded the payment of the rent.

There should be a clause in the AST which explains what happens at the end of the initial fixed term, ie, the tenancy runs on to a SPT or CPT. Highlighted that clause in the AST or flag it with a post-it note and get the tenant to show them this.