The ethics vs financial realities of paying a tenant to leave?

The ethics vs financial realities of paying a tenant to leave?

15:16 PM, 15th November 2022, About A year ago 40

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Hello, We have an awkward freeloader who’s stopped paying. If it takes 6-12 months to evict him we will have a lot of unpaid rent (Yes, we can sue, but CCJ’s may go nowhere with a “paper” debtor), plus legal/court fees, plus whatever state he leaves our property in.

It might be worth considering paying him to just go.

Has anyone got experience of having done that?

What are the rights and wrongs, the pros and cons, how do we arrive at a sum, and how might it work – we can’t pay till he’s physically out, would it be a transaction between solicitors?

If he stands to “gain” by a long rent free period I guess it would be a few £thousand.

It sticks in the craw but it’s got to be worth considering.

Thank you,

Grahame


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Comments

Graham Bowcock

14:15 PM, 17th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Smiffy at 17/11/2022 - 12:52
No, but that may just be the landlord's take on the matter (borne out of frustration) and does not prevent some financial agreement being done.

The tenant's disposition may not be ideal, but the key is for the landlord to mitigate their losses.

Smiffy

14:56 PM, 17th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Graham Bowcock at 17/11/2022 - 14:15well if we are going to doubt the landlords description as accurate, the whole conversation is pointless.

My comments and opinion is based solely on the content of the original post, in which there are no suggestions of mitigating circumstances, such as health, financial hardship etc just "an awkward freeloader who’s stopped paying."

I'll just look at the case as presented.

Old Mrs Landlord

15:42 PM, 17th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by LaLo at 16/11/2022 - 21:57
Not to mention the risk of the tenant taking the money but still refusing to leave or being let back in by another tenant if it's an HMO..

Ian Simpson

8:21 AM, 19th November 2022, About A year ago

Yes, I have had this before. Twenty months to evict two scumbags who tried every trick in the book to stay as well as lying to the court that they had two minors living with them (isn't that perjury...?!) anyway, once finally out, one of them moved in to the guy next door's room. Turns out he was selling him drugs and the guy owed him a big debt... so he stayed on in the next room for some months. Thank God that building now sold lock stock... All spare cash is now in Whisky bonded barrels, earning 12-16% p.a. which is still CGT free, unless Hunt changes that too!

TheBiggerPicture

11:39 AM, 19th November 2022, About A year ago

I understand the difficulties in wanting to pay a tenant to leave, but have you considered that your tenant may hold out for a payment because the last landlord did?

Reluctant Landlord

20:45 PM, 21st November 2022, About A year ago

forget 'ethics'.

Its getting to the point for most LL whatever is the quickest and cheapest option (discounting illegal extraction of course 😉 )

Andrew

14:20 PM, 26th November 2022, About A year ago

You need to go face the tenant, go accompanied, explain the property must come back, and ask what he/she is wanting or trying to achieve? if you can work with that, then you'll get it back. A lot of tenants are waiting for bailiff dates to "get a council place" and some know that they'll be housed even if they "knock" you (you can argue with the local authority about this until the cows come home, they don't care) you'd explain that the local authority will find them "intentionally homeless", if you both work on this then the legal route would be much smoother. Perhaps your willingness to arrange the legal eviction, if that's what's needed will be based on the arrears being paid up before the bailiff application is made. Tenants not paying rent is a frustrating place to be. The powers that be don't even begin to understand the suffering landlords go through.

Gary BTLowner

15:16 PM, 26th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Andrew at 26/11/2022 - 14:20
Hi Andrew
It would be good to speak to him but he doesn`t answer calls/texts/emails or even answer the door. Totally uncommunicative.

Chris @ Possession Friend

16:42 PM, 29th November 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Gary BTLowner at 26/11/2022 - 15:16
@Gary - why not contact us.

Contended Ted

22:57 PM, 5th December 2022, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Chris @ Possession Friend at 29/11/2022 - 16:42
Chris. I am sure many landlords appreciate having a repossession friend. I am looking to downsize my portfolio. So far I have sold two properties to tenants at attractive prices and assisted two tenants who wanted to move but couldn’t afford to. Moving house is expensive and tenant deposits are essential. I will talk to the remaining eight tenants to explore any plans they may have that we can work together on. We are not trying to push anyone out, just sharing the benefits of selling properties at a good price.

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