Tenant has decided to change the day she pays her rent?
Hi everyone, I was just wondering if someone could give me a bit of advice. I have a tenant who is on benefits and has been late with her rent on several occasions as her money has not come through. She always pays as soon as her money arrives.
The rent for the property is about £400 below the norm for the area.
The rent was due on the 8th, and I have had a message saying that, unfortunately, her money has not come through due to her making a change to her claim. She has told me that in future, her money will not come through until the 12th of the month, and she proposes to change her rent payment to that date.
She says she does not have the money to pay for the extra few days from the 8th to the 12th. This will mean her rent will be late every month.
If I leave it and let her pay late each month, where does that leave me regarding the contract?
I want to keep all the paperwork legal so that if I want to give her Notice to Quit, I will not be caught out with the paperwork being wrong.
Arthur
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Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 1996
4:06 PM, 11th March 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by DPT at 11/03/2025 – 16:02
The payment date can just stay the same: You can just confirm that the payment date remains the original payment date but as long as she’s never more than 4 days in arrears it’s never going to matter anyway.
Member Since February 2024 - Comments: 31
4:29 PM, 11th March 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Judith Wordsworth at 11/03/2025 – 10:23
The tenancy will end on the date specified in the tenancy agreement, not the day prior to the date the rent is paid on.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3507 - Articles: 5
5:53 PM, 11th March 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 11/03/2025 – 15:49
…and then issue a S21 asap!
Member Since November 2020 - Comments: 51
8:30 PM, 11th March 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Mike Thomas at 11/03/2025 – 16:29
That’s not how tenancies end in reality.
Member Since December 2022 - Comments: 27
10:25 PM, 11th March 2025, About 1 year ago
I advise you to email the Tenant and state whether you agree or not to the change in rent payment date. Being late 4 days persistently isn’t going to result in eviction using one of the rent arrears grounds. So overall this isn’t a major issue.
However you may wish to issue a section 21 notice before they are outlawed.
Member Since October 2020 - Comments: 1137
12:36 PM, 12th March 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 11/03/2025 – 16:06
Yes, exactly
Member Since September 2023 - Comments: 157
1:55 PM, 12th March 2025, About 1 year ago
If the tenant approaches the council they’ll likely cover the 4 extra days from a hardship fund.
From a legal point of view, they’ll forever we paying late, and be 4 days in arrears so it opens up S8 ground 11 for persistent late rent payment, discretionary ground. It would be in the tenants interest to resolve it.
Member Since March 2024 - Comments: 4
3:10 PM, 14th March 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Tim Rogers at 11/03/2025 – 15:40
It can’t be universal credit as the date does not change, even with a change of circumstances the date remains the same unless it hits a weekend or bank holiday and is then paid early. It’s never paid late
Member Since December 2022 - Comments: 1
7:48 AM, 15th March 2025, About 1 year ago
I think leave the 4 days to swing, however, your big question is what the change was, your UC payment date doesn’t change unless you close your claim and reclaim or add yourself to someone’s claim, has she now got a partner living in that you dont know about? I would ask what has changed, to make the date change. You also are way under local rate, I would be pushing an increase to her.
Member Since November 2022 - Comments: 10
8:02 AM, 15th March 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Judith Wordsworth at 11/03/2025 – 10:23
I agree, what choice does she have.
Payment date can be different to payment due date.
Keep correspondence as evidence that you agreed for this otherwise are you going to be sending a late payment fine or reminder every month.
Being a landlord is a job that requires more interaction with people who are the paying for the service.
As regards the under market rent, that’s a choice you have made and is irrelevant to this issue. You have a good tenant there who has informed you of the change beyond her control.
Not everyone would tell you…