Tenant claiming £10k damages?

Tenant claiming £10k damages?

8:49 AM, 18th February 2020, About 4 years ago 75

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Hi everyone, I’d appreciate any input that the members might have with my predicament. I am currently the defendant in a case that one of my tenants has brought through the small claims court. The tenant is claiming in excess of 10k against me and has listed the following reasons.

– The tenant paid a deposit at the commencement of the tenancy which was not placed in tenancy deposit scheme ect ect ect.
– A long list of repairs needed to the house have caused grief and disruption to the tenant and his son.

In response to the first point, the tenant did NOT pay a deposit or any other kind of fee at any point. The tenancy agreement clearly states that no deposit is payable and the tenant signed every page acknowledging this.

The second reason is more involved. At no point has the tenant reported any repairs directly to myself throughout the tenancy. The first point I was made aware that there was issues with the house was when the council wrote to me after carrying out an inspection to the property.

Upon receiving the informal notice from the council. I engaged local tradesmen to rectify every single issue. Some of the works carried out include, replacement of combi boiler, new flat roof to the extension, pest control visit from the local authority, full electrical report passing the property of as safe, numerous visits from my joinery contractor. I have receipts for every one of these repairs which run to over five thousand pounds.

The tenant has refused mediation and has even made fictitious accusations against the council’a Health and Safety officer. I am having difficulty getting any response out of the council now and my emails and letters are being ignored. I suspect that the council want no further involvement with the case now which does not help me as I’d like to have it in writing from them that the works have been carried out.

Any advice, suggestions or observations would be greatly appreciated.

Trapped Landlord


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Comments

Ian Cognito

15:16 PM, 19th February 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Chris Daniel at 19/02/2020 - 15:11
To hell with it! Why stop at 2 months? What about 4 months in advance, with monthly payments, thereafter?

Ian Narbeth

15:31 PM, 19th February 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Chris Daniel at 19/02/2020 - 15:11
Hi Chris
The OP appears to have stumbled accidentally into this problem.
In other circumstances you may be correct but unless the lease is very clear that two months' rent is payable upfront for the first two months, landlords need to be very careful.

AA

15:36 PM, 19th February 2020, About 4 years ago

One final question from me - might be slightly off-topic.
If you had good tenants and you let them off with one months rent ( students ) say for the summer months. Can that good deed comeback and bite a landlord ? I say this for me common sense and rationale are out the window in this crazy business.

Ian Cognito

15:38 PM, 19th February 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 19/02/2020 - 15:31
My understanding is that the only circumstance where 2 months rent could be payable in advance (with 1 month not deemed a deposit) is where payments are, thereafter, made every 2 months.

Chris @ Possession Friend

15:40 PM, 19th February 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Ian Cognito at 19/02/2020 - 15:38
No

Ian Narbeth

15:52 PM, 19th February 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by AA at 19/02/2020 - 15:36"If you had good tenants and you let them off with one months rent ( students ) say for the summer months. Can that good deed comeback and bite a landlord ? "
Yes, possibly if you fall foul of the prohibition in Schedule 1 para 1 of the Tenant Fees Act by charging a higher rent in an early period and then reducing the rent in a later period. The problem does not arise if you agree to reduce the rent to zero after the tenancy has started.
If you want to preordain the rent reduction there may be a way to avoid the problem but I don't have time to look into it today.

AA

16:29 PM, 19th February 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 19/02/2020 - 15:52
Has it to be zero ?

zhorik

8:31 AM, 20th February 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Ian Cognito at 19/02/2020 - 14:16
See Tenant Fees Act 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tenant-fees-act-2019-guidance page 5.
This only applies to tenancies entered into after 1 june 2019.
In Johnson & Ors V Old. http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2013/415.html
paragraphs 25 , and 35 onwards.
The problem is they do not clarify what exactly was allowed and whether if the tenant had a good credit record was it permissable to ask for advance rent and that it would not be deemed as a deposit. However, the comment of Sir John Chadwick agreed to by Lord Justice Jackson and Lady Justice Arden is instructive. "he payment on 29 April 2010 was, in part, a payment in discharge of that liability in the same way as it was, in part, a payment of the liability to pay the rent in respect of the month of May 2010 on 1 May 2010. The point can be tested by asking, rhetorically, how the tenant would have responded to a demand, on 1 September 2010, for rent in respect of the month of September 2010. It is, I think, impossible to avoid the conclusion that her answer would have been: "why are you asking me for rent which I have already paid?". And, if it had been suggested to her that she would be liable for interest at 6% per annum on rent for the month of September 2010 if she did not meet that demand by payment of £1,000 forthwith, her answer might have been expressed in stronger terms of indignation."

AA

9:56 AM, 20th February 2020, About 4 years ago

I was going to post this case - it settles that it is reasonable for a landlord to ask for rent in advance if it can be shown that the intention was purely to pay rent.
The Scottish legislation is not drafted this way - "premiums" were outlawed back in 1984 with a clarification of what constitutes a premium 2011.

Chris @ Possession Friend

10:03 AM, 20th February 2020, About 4 years ago

my business have often negotiated ( usually with varying success ) with Tenants solicitors over Deposit protection claims ( where there's been a liability by the Landlord )

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