Tenant gave false details – What do I do next?

Tenant gave false details – What do I do next?

0:02 AM, 25th July 2023, About 10 months ago 21

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Hi all, we have a tenant who rented a flat from us. We did ID and NRLA checks and he passed. However, since signing the AST agreement he has been subletting through Airbnb. The profile picture on Airbnb is clearly not him and further enquiries reveal that the address he gave to us belongs to someone else stating his identity has been stolen.

Airbnb has said they will look into it but won’t take down the post. A report to police has been made but they will take ages to investigate assuming they can find him. Getting an eviction order will take months.

If he is not who he says he is, can we just go in and change the locks as he appears to be using a false identity? What do I do next?

Thanks,

Parminder


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Comments

RoseD

12:12 PM, 25th July 2023, About 10 months ago

Reply to the comment left by RCJ at 25/07/2023 - 11:57
Precisely my point about checking out credentials of original tenant application. Credit checking fairly comprehensive and I always go for premium check (costs but more in depth) Also passport and driving licence. I doubt this person not legitimate at time of application more what's going on since.

Darren Peters

13:43 PM, 25th July 2023, About 10 months ago

Then to rephrase OP’s question if correct details are given to OP but tenant invents a second ID for AirBnB what does OP do? They haven’t given OP false details but are or may be doing something with the flat that the AST or superior Lease forbids. What then?

RoseD

14:09 PM, 25th July 2023, About 10 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Darren Peters at 25/07/2023 - 13:43
Think this is thinking too deep without the facts. Thread stated the property was sub let by original tenant. Think the emphasis for me would be reclaiming property. I'm.actually wondering if rent and bills being paid too. Surely a track through that route if so.

Judith Wordsworth

20:00 PM, 25th July 2023, About 10 months ago

Serve a s8 notice

RCJ

7:02 AM, 26th July 2023, About 10 months ago

Reply to the comment left by RoseD at 25/07/2023 - 12:12
but no amount of checking a prospective tenants ID will lead to knowing what his intention to do with your property is.

RoseD

8:31 AM, 26th July 2023, About 10 months ago

Reply to the comment left by RCJ at 26/07/2023 - 07:02
True but if expectation is every application a fraudster, then where does that leave us? The situation presented is a problem. It's how you move forward to solve the problem that this is about.

RoseD

10:20 AM, 26th July 2023, About 10 months ago

Parminder, coincidentally headline article on this site today relates to your predicament. Surge in tenants sub letting up by 47%!! You not alone not that that helps any.

BRACKS Mead

8:18 AM, 29th July 2023, About 10 months ago

Im surprised at AIRBNB because SPAREROOM acted immediately.
we found our flat sub let on the app SPAREROOM. We provided the AST and eviction letter we instigated. They took the advert down, cancelled/banned the person and address from being used again straight away.
Civil action against airbnb due to them being aware of the fraud and its detrimental to you? I dont know

jbw63

14:58 PM, 29th July 2023, About 10 months ago

Reply to the comment left by BRACKS Mead at 29/07/2023 - 08:18Actually SPAREROOM are great when my daughter had issues with a dodgy Bristol-based Lettings Agent at the end of her tenancy. It was an HMO room let, and she was promised in the SpareRoom advert, and contract that if she rented for over 12 months (she did) that re would be refunded her first months rent back (as a sales incentive). SpareRoom reviewed the 'no-longer visible' advert and confirmed that the letting agent had clearly advertised this promise. Spareroom then refused to allow this Letting agent to advertise any other listings until they paid her over this money, and they were good as their word. Separately, she did a full 3+ hour clean at end of tenancy (she had worked 6 x 60 hour weeks as a pro-cleaner for 6 weeks across one summer, so had all the cleaning products) we took lots of photos as proof, but then the agency stalled, then refused to give her the deposit back, and was trying to charge her extortionate cleaning fees. DPS ruled in her favour. She only moved out because the agency let the adjacent room to a guy (whom had been accused of raping an ex-girlfriend, police turn up 3rd day of his tenancy), and he started trying to sexually harass her, so she was terrified to come out of her room or take a shower unless he was out of the house, and couldn't even use the kitchen (he had no job, other tenants all at work). She had to endure this for last 6 weeks while she was desperate to find a place to move too. He also kept switching the consumer unit on and off to try to get her to react (she was doing coding for an internship), despite siege protection he eventually fried her computer so there was that trauma in addition. The rogue agency did nothing about it, and we had to really fight for get her money back. With SpareRoom backing her re proof of advert, the rogue agency paid up the 1 months rent quickly. DPS process regarding the deposit took 4 months before she got her full deposit released back. The whole experience was incredibly stressful for her, because she also had lost used of her computer midst a short very intense research internship, midst lock-down and the computer repairs were costly.

Ma'at Housing Solutions

16:53 PM, 29th July 2023, About 10 months ago

Reply to the comment left by RCJ at 25/07/2023 - 09:45
This is most alarming; the fact that this fraudster has rented your property fraudulently and worse still it may be used as accommodation to traffic / or abuse young women?!
I appreciate that you wish to repossess your property but have you reported this fraudster to the Home Office and expressed your concerns to the Police about the occupants?
I would be VERY concerned if I had reason to believe there were women being trafficked/ abused or exploited and I failed to act....

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